Diary Of A Madman
by RevolutionZwei
Summary: It was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives. During the happiest time of the year. But when a homicidal maniac forces them to play a cruel game they never bargained for, their entire world comes crashing down in one fell swoop. Leon/Ada
1. Prologue : Shackler's Revenge

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

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**Prologue : Shackler's Revenge**

_"Hatred isn't something you're born with.  
It gets taught..."_

The government agent paced frantically behind the two-way mirror. On the other side was one of the most dangerous criminals of the twenty-first century. He had been on the top of America's "most wanted" list for two weeks now, and he had finally been caught. He was finally in government custody. But that didn't stop the wave of nausea from hitting the ex-cop harder than a ton of bricks ever could.

"Hey Leon. I know that you wanna get in there as soon as possible, but Hunnigan wanted me to give this to you." the dark-haired man spoke softly, extending his hand, which held a manila folder. Leon's eyes narrowed gravely at the folder, which he took without a word. He flipped the cover open, and began thumbing through the contents.

_Alias, Joe. Real name, unknown. Nationality, American. Birthday, unknown. Age, unknown. Hair color, brown. Eye color, brown. Blood type, A. Enjoys speaking French and telling jokes, especially before he kills._

"You've got to be kidding me Kevin. Is this really all she could dig up?" Leon questioned, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration.

"Sorry man...there's _nothing_ on this guy. He burned the tips of his fingers so he wouldn't have finger prints. He doesn't have an address, dental records, hospital records, parking tickets, _nothing_." Kevin affirmed, shrugging his shoulders. Leon, unable to wait any longer began walking towards the door that would lead him to "Joe". When he reached the knob, he stopped, turning to meet the older agent in the eye.

"Yeah, but she didn't dig up anything that _I_ didn't already know. I need ten minutes alone with this guy. I want you to clear everybody out of here." Leon ordered, once again turning his attention to the thick, metal door.

"What do you want me to tell them Lee? Fire drill?" Kevin asked sarcastically, his eyes penetrating through the mirror at the madman, who was sitting comfortably. The blondeman whipped around angrily, showing another side of his personality that hadn't been seen in quite a few years.

"I don't give a rat's ass what you tell them Ryman! Just get me ten God damn minutes! Can you handle that?" Leon barked uncharacteristically. The dark-haired man looked caught off guard by Leon's outburst, but with a sigh, nodded. The younger agent seemed content with Kevin's answer, so he entered the small room, locking the heavy door behind him.

"Ahh...just the man that I wanted to see. How are you this afternoon Agent Kennedy?" Joe quipped, leaning back in his chair. It took every ounce of restraint in Leon's body to control himself from jumping across the table and strangling the man.

"There's only one thing that I want to know. And I have a feeling you know what that is." the agent responded solemnly. The sides of Joe's lips quivered, and the man couldn't help the huge smile that spread out on his face.

"You could refresh my memory..." Joe offered, his grin somehow growing wider. In an instant, Leon grabbed the criminal by his shirt, pinning him against the wall.

"Woah, whoa, whoa....take it easy Agent. Let's not go all..._crazy _on me now..." Joe chirped, waving his hands around to prove his point. The blonde man looked to the ground miserably, releasing the smaller man at the same time.

"What's your real name Joe?" Leon inquired, prompting the dark-haired man to raise an eyebrow.

"Surely that's not the information that you've come to beat out me..." Joe replied, taking his seat at the end of the stainless steel table.

"Humor me." the ex-cop retorted, mimicking the madman's actions. That sentence brought the smile back on Joe's face. He rapped on the table a couple of times with his knuckles, and then brought his hand up, pointing his index finger at Leon accusingly. Joe kept his smirk, wagging his finger at the government agent, as if Leon was a dog who just disobeyed an order.

"Je n'ai pas de nom." he stated, leaning back as he did earlier. When the blonde man didn't respond, the madman continued.

"My name is Ydennek T. Noel. I'm just your average, ordinary guy." Joe announced. Leon looked puzzled for a minute, and began counting his fingers, as if he was trying to figure out a mathematical equation.

"Let me guess...your middle name is Ttocs, right? Very clever Joe...a little unoriginal though." the ex-cop scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. The man in question laughed heartily, rocking back and forth in his chair for a couple of minutes.

"Well, I'm the same as you Agent Kennedy. In essence...I represent America...no, the world actually." Joe added, resting his elbows against the cool steel that made up the table.

"You see, the only rational way to live is...irrationally. Especially in this rational world. Because then you create chaos. Me, I'm just an uncivilized man...trapped in a civilized time. What did you think would happen?" he continued, eyeing the blonde man intently.

"What have you done with her?" Leon snarled. Another audible chuckle reverberated through the madman, as if the agent had just said a funny joke.

"I don't think that _I'm_ in any position to do any_thing_ to any_body_ at the moment." Joe pointed out, motioning around the small room with his handcuffed hands.

"She never came home last night...and she's not answering her phone. Now tell me where she is." Leon affirmed, his eyes turning a stormy blue, unconsciously showing how angry he was.

"It's almost _shocking_, isn't it? How things work out? You know, when I first met Mrs. Kennedy... -" Joe was cut off when the ex-cop slammed his hands on the metal table, springing up simultaneously.

"Whoops...did I enter a taboo conversation? You'll have to forgive my manners Agent Kennedy. As I said before, I don't have any." the dark-haired man explained quickly, motioning for Leon to sit.

"I'd rather talk to Manson..." Leon mumbled, sitting down in the hard folding chair.

"Manson? That guy's a real nut job. And also kind of a racist...but, there's another difference between me and him. I like to kill anybody. I don't hold any prejudice in that regard." Joe proclaimed thoughtfully. The blonde man sighed, growing impatient. He knew that the only way to get the information that he wanted was by listening to the madman ramble on, but that didn't mean that he had to truly _listen_, or enjoy it.

"As I was saying. When I first met Mrs. Kennedy...I could tell that you and her were..."_soul mates_". I mean, I could just see the electricity in her eyes at the mere mention of your name. I'm sure when you first met her, it was more pleasant though. Tell me Agent...could you feel the sparks flying immediately, or...?" Joe trailed off, allowing his words to sink in. They appeared to do just that, as Leon was gritting his teeth, and holding his fist so tight that his knuckles were white.

"Did you feel the energy jolt freely throughout your body? How about when Mrs. Kennedy said "I do"? Or perhaps you felt the energy when she told you..." the dark haired man trailed off again, a wide grin spreading out on his face.

"When she told you..._that she was expecting_." Joe finished, smirking triumphantly. In an instant, Leon rushed to the other side of the table, pinning the madman to the wall.

"You know...votre femme a un beau sourire." Joe stated, giggling at the end of the sentence. Without hesitating, the agent struck the criminal across the face hard, which only elicited more laughter.

"Care to repeat that in English?" Leon dared, his rage boiling over.

"Oh, no Agent Kennedy...I don't "care" about anything." the dark-haired man challenged, panting heavily.

"Where the fuck is my wife?" the blonde man demanded, slamming the criminal into the wall to show that he meant business.

"You know, if we were in a different time, I'd probably get the electric chair for all of my crimes. I mean, you saw what happened to D.C. How is the President by the way?" Joe questioned, taking a second smirk victoriously, before cackling madly again.

"He's fine. Now answer my damn question, you psycho!" Leon insisted, pounding his back into the brick wall again.

"Good to hear Mr. President is okay...but, ahh...little Ashley wasn't so lucky, eh?" the madman taunted, cocking his head to the side innocently. The blonde man struck Joe across the cheek harder this time, and the man collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Not because he was injured, or in immense pain, but because he was laughing so hard.

"I know why you can't stand me Agent Kennedy. I totally understand..." Joe began, once his giggles had subsided.

"It's because I'm _not_ your text book psychotic murderer. I'm just a normal guy, an "Average Joe", if you will...and it bothers you to no extent that I don't have a motive. You see...people like you _want_ little motives and reasons for crimes, so you can sleep peacefully at night. You don't like excepting the fact that your regular, common populace might just snap one day. For no reason at all!" Joe continued, as Leon hovered above him, toying with the idea of pummeling him some more.

"I mean, I'm labeled a serial killer. Why? I like to kill people in many different ways. The same thing over and over again...well, that'd just be _boring_. It's kind of like an art form, really..." the dark haired man added thoughtfully.

"You're sick. Murder isn't art. You have to create something in order for it to be art. We label you as a serial killer because you _do_ have a pattern. You like to speak French and make jokes before killing, right?" the government agent probed.

"Quite the contrary, Agent Kennedy. I like to speak French any chance that I get. Do you know why? Because...J'ai aimé. J'ai souffert. À l'heure actuelle, je déteste. I only speak French when I feel hatred. Which is quite often, mind you. The jokes however, are indeed a different story. You are right about them...I only tell jokes before I kill. I mean, everybody deserves one...last...laugh. Before death, of course." Joe clarified smirking, still lying on the floor.

"I've heard enough. I guess I _have_ to beat this information out of you." Leon replied, hoisting the madman off of the floor by his collar.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here! _You_ and Mrs. Kennedy are! To think that stand up citizens, such as yourselves, would do something as irresponsible as bringing a child into these insane times..." Joe started, before Leon slammed him into the wall, as he had done before.

"How do you expect a child to grow up in a world like this?" the dark-haired man queried, only to be answered with a swift punch to his stomach.

"In a world that will undo all of your hard work?" he continued, seemly unfazed by the strike. The blonde man once again delivered a vicious blow to the madman's midsection.

"Especially when your baby discovers that everything you've taught is a lie!" Joe finished with his signature laugh, which antagonized Leon further. He swung with all of his might, connecting with the criminal's jaw, which once again sent him crumpling to the floor, giggling wildly.

"Where is she?!" the government agent bellowed, striking the man against his cheek again.

"It was _very _irresponsible of her. Especially since she's pregnant..." the madman started, with his usual enigmatic style. Leon raised his fist menacingly, and Joe attempted to shield his face in mock submission.

"It was too easy to persuade her. My men didn't go searching for Mrs. Kennedy...no, no. _She_ went searching for _them_. All they had to do was tell her that we had you...and your loving, and expecting wife came gallivanting to the rescue. Like a mosquito drawn to the light...right...before...ZAP!" Joe exclaimed, wriggling to the wall, and managing to pull himself to a sitting position.

"Answer my question you son of a bitch, or I swear to God..." Leon trailed off, dark thoughts forming in his brain.

"Well...judging by the clock, I'd say you don't have much time. Do you know how many volts of electricity it takes to kill an average human being? Well, the way our machine is set up...I'd only take about thirty-one...give or take. This machine...it starts out with a simple static shock...similar to the ones you'd create by rubbing your feet on a carpet, and touching a door knob. The sensation lasts only a split second. But...every thirty minutes, the voltage number is increased, as well as the length per shock." Joe explained, taking time to catch his breath. Leon stood in utter disbelief, unable to form coherent thoughts or phrases due to the madman's confession.

"You do the math Agent Kennedy. She's been missing for...oh, twelve and a half hours. That's a total of about...twenty-five volts. And a length of twelve and a half seconds to the shock that she just received. Ouch..." the dark-haired man teased, wearing his signature smirk.

"She's only got three hours until she reaches the lethal thirty-one volt mark, with a shock that lasts fifteen seconds. Her location is in Sag Harbor, in an old warehouse on Latham Street. We are here, in Brooklyn. It's going to take approximately two hours and sixteen minutes to get there. But since it is five-thirty, I don't think you'll be able to make it in the allotted time. You can thank New York's wonderful rush hour traffic for that." Joe said sarcastically, allowing himself to chuckle at the end of his sentence.

"You'd better run Agent Kennedy...I didn't do the calculations for the baby." the madman taunted, looking at the clock. Leon tightened his fist, and was about to rush towards the dark-haired man, when he felt arms hold him back. It was one of Leon's best friends. Agent McGivern held Leon in place, trying to get him to calm down.

"Easy Leon...you've got the location, so just go already! I'll watch the psycho for you...he's not going anywhere." Bruce promised, cracking his knuckles once Leon had stopped struggling. The blonde man bounded for the door quickly, anxious to save the life of his wife and unborn child.

"Aww...how lonely Christmas will be for you this year..." Joe quipped, prompting Leon to stop in his tracks.

"You son of a... -" he began, clenching his fists furiously.

"Leon! Go! Ada needs you now!" Bruce insisted, practically shoving the younger agent out the door.

"Such concern you show for your friend. I'll bet you five bucks he gets there, and they're already dead. Huh? Any takers?" the dark-haired man pestered, garnering an evil glare from Bruce. The madman met his eyes, smiling brightly.

"You shut your God damn mouth, or I'll pick up where Leon left off." Bruce snarled viciously. The criminal giggled, lightly smacking the back of his head into the brick wall several times.

"That's a good one, but I've heard better." he informed, his smirk never leaving his face. Bruce rolled his eyes, and continued to guard the door faithfully.

"Would you like to hear a joke Agent McGivern?" Joe asked innocently.

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_Duh duh duh! The plot thickens...so to speak. And another story is born...I really can't help my brain sometimes, so...sorry people who are sick of seeing me!_

_Ahh...Joe. Mr. Average Joe...I don't know if you can tell, but I had fun with writing him lol. He's just a little OC that was the brain child of me and Alaska Kennedy (or is that Alaska Kennedy and I?). We worked on him for about two days...thanks chica! Anyway, he's heavily based on The Joker, The Riddler (wtf why Batman?), Hannibal Lector, and a little dash of Kain, for good measure. Like I said...very fun..._

_Well, that was the first chapter...kinda. We'll flashback in the next chapter to see how we got to this point...yes, I'm going to Tarintino that shit. Why you ask? Hell if I know...I thought it would be interesting...and yes...this chapter was influenced by the interrogation scene in The Dark Knight (seriously, why Batman?! XD). Anyway, the quote at the beginning is heard in Mississippi Burning...(Mississippi...what a fun word to type!)_

_French...yes French. I hope the translations were right...or at least pretty close..._

_"Je n'ai pas de nom." - I have no name.  
"Votre femme a un beau sourire." - Your wife has a beautiful smile.  
"J'ai aimé. J'ai souffert. À l'heure." - I have loved. I have suffered. Right now, I hate. (I know I've heard this quote somewhere before...by who though?)_

_Hope you readers enjoyed chapter 1, and if'n ya did, I hope that you'll stay tuned for later chapters. As always, any feedback that you toss my way is greatly appreciated!_


	2. Chapter 1 : Can't You Hear Me Knocking?

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

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**Chapter One : Can't You Hear Me Knocking?**

_"Those who hate the most fervently, must have once loved deeply;  
Those who want to deny the world, must have once embraced what they now set on fire."_

_Two Weeks Earlier..._

The rumble of the Jeep's engine was audible, as it sped with purpose through downtown Washington D.C. Approaching a red light in the process of turning green, the blonde man sighed irritably, praying with every fiber of his being that the driver in front of him wouldn't hinder his progress. Unfortunately for the weary government agent, the Ford Escort in front of him had different plans. With the reaction speed of a small toddler, the driver waited a full five seconds to pull out after the light had turned green, effectively ruining any momentum that the ex-cop had.

"I hate D.C. traffic." Leon grumbled, slowing his navy SUV down to a snail's pace, just shy of a complete halt. The driver in front of him was obviously oblivious to what he was keeping Leon from. Actually _who _would be a more appropriate description. The blonde man allowed a smile to form on his lips, as he thought of his wife of three years. The dim witted driver finally began moving at a decent pace, but Leon's thoughts remained on...her. The woman of his dreams, who he had met eleven years ago in a city, which was now nothing more than a radioactive wasteland. It was Hell on Earth, if Leon remembered correctly. Well, how any sane person would imagine Hell at any rate. The dead walking through the streets, as if that was where they belonged, instead of humans with heartbeats. Grotesque creations that were "side-effects" of artificially concepted viruses, which were the brain children of madmen. Yet, during this insane and trying time, Leon had managed to find the person that he would be spending the rest of his life with.

_Kind of ironic, now that I think about it._

Leon took a left hand turn, finally parting ways with the incompetent driver, who was now free to piss off the owner of the car that was behind Leon. The new street, which was thankfully virtually empty, allowed the government agent to resume his thoughts on the woman that he was rushing home to see. When Leon first met her, she was holding a gun to him, and looked unsure as to whether or not she was actually going to pull the trigger. Even then, her presence was absolutely captivating to the then rookie cop. It amazed him how calm and confident she was, during a time when every other living soul was losing their mind in the horrors of a city on the brink of complete and utter chaos. He found himself progressively enthralled by her mystifying actions, and wound up ultimately falling deeply in love with her. But he also wound up losing her within the same night, which devastated Leon for years. He found himself more and more depressed, as he thought of the causes and effects of her "death", which in turn only brought on the guilty feelings that gnaw away at a person's core, until there is eventually nothing left. However, in one swift instant, the bitter feelings that flowed and ebbed at Leon's soul, battering his disposition, and leaving him helplessly thrashing on tides of anguish, vanished. And all it took was one computer file, which confirmed that Ada Wong was indeed still alive.

Leon turned the steering wheel of the SUV to the right, making the final turn, which would lead him home. He thought about the file, and how he smirked at the idea of Ada being alive at first. He didn't want to fool himself into false hopes, which he deemed impossible at the time. Yet, he couldn't help clinging onto the slight chance that she was still alive. As much as he hated himself for it, and as much heartbreak as he figured it would eventually bring, he had to hope. He had spent many nights gazing at his ceiling or looking out at the stars, wondering where she could be, and if she was thinking about him. Finally, after three years of endless speculation and unanswered questions, she reappeared. On a mission, no less. Still as confident, beautiful, and deadly as ever. Not to mention the soporific trance that she could still induce at the flick of her hips, or curl of her lips. Unbeknownst to Ada, her presence in Spain was quite the distraction to Leon, who couldn't help but play the role of the moth attracted to her flame. But he didn't mind at all; in fact, much like Raccoon City, he was more than happy to be in the company of a beautiful enchantress who could take his mind off of the horrors that surrounded him, and even ease his surmounting fear, if such was the case. In the end, they parted ways, and he was once again left with the same empty feeling as the last time they were separated.

It only took one year for them to be reunited again, but this time, it seemed, Ada wasn't so quick to vanish from Leon's grasp. She shunned her former lifestyle all for him, and even managed to land a job with the very government that Leon worked for. They moved a little faster than normal couples, moving in together without hesitation, and spending as much time together as possible. It only took another short year for Leon to propose, and begin living his life the way that he believed he was meant to. With a woman that he loved with all of his heart, who loved him just as much. Leon made his final turn, into the driveway of a beautiful two-story brick house. The agent stopped his Jeep next to the red Dodge Viper, and he couldn't help but smile as thoughts of buying a nicer vehicle for himself briefly crossed his mind. Shaking off his silly musings, Leon walked to the wooden door that made up the entrance to his house, and allowed the all too familiar sensation of excitement and relief to wash over him. With a grin, the blonde man turned the knob, swinging the door open simultaneously. For a fleeting second, he thought about calling out "Hi honey, I'm home!", but quickly dismissed the idea.

_What is wrong with me tonight? I must be extra eager to see her or something..._

Instead, Leon opted to quietly close the door and sneak into the kitchen, where he would no doubt find his raven-haired sweetheart. Sure enough, hovering above the stove and stirring some colorful vegetables around in a frying pan, was the woman formerly known as Ada Wong. However, with the golden band that snugly hugged her left ring finger, also came a new last name. Leon found himself smiling widely as he observed his wife, who was clad in blue jeans and a black tank top. He nearly giggled at how adorable she looked, as she bobbed her hips back and forth, humming a gentle tune to herself. The agent could have probably watched the Eurasian beauty for hours, soaking up her very essence, but when her gaze slowly rose from the pan, to the wall in front of her, Leon knew that the jig was up. He could imagine the confident smirk that she was probably wearing at that very moment.

"I know you're there handsome. You might as well stop trying to sneak up on a trained assassin." Ada quipped, clutching the frying pan tightly, and in one fluid motion, she flicked the vegetables into the air, gracefully recapturing them as gravity brought them back down. With a defeated sigh, Leon walked behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek softly, which garnered a small smile to form on Ada's lips.

"That's _ex_-assassin dear." Leon corrected, resting his chin on her shoulder blade. Ada laughed, and slowly turned in his grasp, until she was looking up at the blonde man in pure adoration. He raised his eyebrows, daring her to make the first move. Which she did willingly, grazing her nose up the ex-cop's neck until she reached his cheek, which she kissed lovingly, returning Leon's earlier gesture of affection.

"Welcome home honey." Ada purred into Leon's ear, causing several cold chills to rocket down his spine, an effect that only her voice possessed. Leon smiled and rested his head on Ada's, as he had done many times before, and the married couple held that position for several moments, savoring each others warmth and feel. Suddenly remembering her frying vegetables, the raven-haired woman quickly returned her attention back to the stove, where she furiously began stirring the colorful produce, so as to save it from burning to a crisp. Leon smiled again at his wife's behavior, and headed upstairs to change into a more comfortable set of clothes. He shed his slightly cramped, black suit on the floor and began looking for something a little looser and laid back. Leon hated wearing suits, especially the boring black ones that were required when not out on the field, but the United States government didn't exactly have casual Fridays. He shuffled through his closet, and found nothing but fifteen identical black suits and ties, so he headed to his dresser, which was next to Ada's. The agent was finally successful in his search, pulling out a pair of worn in jeans, and a grey wifebeater. Even though it was early December, the house was a bit warm for Leon's tastes, as Ada hated to be cold. So that meant that she kept the heater constantly going to thwart off any chilly drafts. However, Leon didn't mind too much. He learned to get used to it when they first moved in together. It was a sacrifice that he was more than willing to make, as long as it made Ada happy. Leon finished his attire off with a pair of white sneakers, and bounded downstairs to assist his wife with dinner.

"You look more refreshed, now that you're out of that stuffy suit." Ada remarked, when Leon entered the dining room. The ex-assassin was already setting the table, and their dinner was resting comfortably in the middle.

"Sorry I took so long, or I would have helped." Leon replied, taking his seat at the small table. They had purposely purchased a small table, for the mere fact that they hated being too far away from each other. When they had decided to go furniture shopping, Leon joked about buying one of those long tables he had seen in the movies, where you would have to call out with your mouth cupped in your hands just to have a conversation. But in the end, they agreed that something simple would be the best choice.

"I know Leon, but you're the one who had to work late...not me." Ada pointed out, spooning a helping of fried beef and the vegetables onto a plate and handing it to the blonde man.

"Well, I'm glad you managed to get off early. You didn't have to go through all the bullshit today." he admitted, accepting the plate, and setting it in front of himself.

"Why? What happened?" she asked curiously, taking her seat at the table to join her husband. Leon forked a generous amount of greens, and placed them in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Double homicide. They called us in because of the nature of the crime. We found two security guards with their throats slit, ear to ear." Leon answered, after swallowing his food.

"Hmm...what an interesting conversation to have at dinner. But still...surely that's not enough to call the government in on." Ada proclaimed, a little reluctant to take a bite of the food which rested on the fork that was hovering inches away from her mouth. The blonde man nodded, taking another bite of the dinner that his wife had prepared.

"Oh, it gets better. The cause of death was obvious, but there were also several things carved onto their stomachs. The majority of those things were question marks, but one of the guards actually had a full riddle etched on his chest. It was in French, but it translated to "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?" Well, the answer is obviously mankind, because as a baby, we crawl on our hands and knees. As we get older, we walk upright, and as a senior, with the assistance of a cane. But the riddle isn't what troubles me." Leon explained. Both of the couples plates were now bare, as the conversation continued.

"Okay...that is strange, I'll give you that. But I still don't understand why they didn't just send the FBI or something." Ada stated, locking her elbow on the table, and resting her chin on her fist.

"They did. And they called us because of their discovery." the ex-cop responded, standing up and grabbing his and Ada's plate to put them in the dishwasher.

"Which was?" the Eurasian beauty queried.

"They found trace evidence of the T-Virus on the collar of the shirt that one of the men was wearing." Leon replied, noticing the surprise in his wife's eyes that vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"What does all of this mean Leon? The riddle and the T-Virus?" Ada implored anxiously.

"Probably nothing dear. We already caught one guy. He's small time, and clearly works for somebody else. It's only a matter of time before he sings like a canary." he assured, placing his hand over hers.

"You seem awfully confident in your interrogation abilities babe." Ada purred, apparently satisfied with her husband's answer.

"Who said anything about me? I was gonna stick _you_ in there with him. You'd only need five minutes." Leon teased, with a wink. Ada smiled as sweetly as possible, cocking her head to the side to gather Leon's full attention.

"Four minutes hun." she affirmed, returning the agent's wink. Leon couldn't help but laugh, as he stood up to make his way to the living room. Ada joined arms with her husband, allowing him to lead the way.

"Leon, I have something that I really need to speak with you about." Ada informed, as they reached the plump leather sofa. Leon sat down on the couch, and Ada sat next to him, instinctively snuggling closer, as he brought his arm around her shoulders.

"This sounds serious." Leon replied hesitantly. Ada brought her eyes down to the couch's smooth surface, unwilling to face the man that she loved. At this point, the blonde man couldn't help the wave of fear that washed over his entire body. There was obviously something very, _very_ wrong with the raven-haired woman. He had never seen her like this. There was something truly frightening that she had to say, and even she was reluctant to share her troubles.

"Hey." Leon said, using his index finger to gently pull Ada's chin, and gaze towards him.

"You can tell me anything honey. Now what is it?" he continued, his voice as soft and encouraging as he could possibly make it. Ada's features appeared to soften, and Leon offered a supportive smile to validate his words. With a light exhale, the Eurasian beauty grabbed the blonde man's hand, apparently ready to confess her soul.

"Well..." she began, gripping his hand tighter.

"Wow...this is more difficult then I thought it would be." Ada admitted with a hoarse laugh. Leon stroked his thumb on his wife's cream-colored hand, hoping to soothe her, and possibly help her along.

"Here goes. Leon...I found out today..." she resumed, pausing to bite her lip nervously. The ex-cop nodded anxiously, urging her to continue. Ada took another deep breath through her nose, exhaling softly from her mouth.

"Honey...I'm...I'm pregnant." Ada finished, lowering her head, as if she didn't wish to see her husband's reaction. In an instant, her words sank in, and it felt as if someone had driven a truck into Leon. His mind went blank, and his body froze up in fear. Luckily, this effect only lasted a few seconds, and reality finally sank in. They were going to have a baby. Leon was going to be a father, and Ada, a mother. They were going to be parents. And they were going to experience parenthood together. A smile slowly crept on Leon's face as he felt the initial fear melt away, and overwhelming joy set in.

"We're going to have a baby..." Leon mused softly, enjoying the sound of that sentence the more he thought of it. Ada slowly brought her gaze up again at Leon's words, confusion in her eyes, until she saw the wide grin he was wearing. Relief washed over Ada's senses, and she instantly found herself back in his protective embrace.

"I know...can you believe it?" she laughed, feeling slightly more relaxed.

"Not really." Leon proclaimed, resting his head on his wife's shoulder. Ada kissed the top of his head, and replaced her head over his.

"Me neither. Are you as terrified as I am?" Ada asked, speaking into his ash blonde hair. Leon managed to mumble a quick "uh huh", as she snuggled closer.

"We'll be okay though. That much I'm sure of." the agent stated confidently.

"And what makes you think that? We're both government agents, and I'm a highly skilled spy. What do we know about being parents?" the Eurasian beauty questioned.

"First of all, that's _ex_-spy. And second of all, we'll learn. Trust me, when the time comes, we're going to shift into auto-pilot mode." Leon assured, grazing his nose against Ada's warm neck.

"I hope you're right Leon." she spoke with an uncertain voice.

"I am. It's nature hun. And besides...we have plenty of time for planning." the blonde man added, yawning at the end of his sentence. Ada rolled her eyes, and with a small smile, stood up from the couch, taking his hand in hers.

"If you say so. Come on babe...you look exhausted." Ada insisted, pulling Leon up from the couch. He didn't argue, and instead allowed the raven-haired woman to lead him upstairs to their room.

"That's what I get for playing cop today, I suppose." he replied with another sleepy yawn. Ada placed her hand on the small of his back, ushering him into the room when she opened the door.

"First of all, you're an _ex_-cop." she retorted in a mimicking tone and a devious smile. Leon looked at her with a small grin, and sighed in defeat.

"Second of all..." Ada continued in her matter-of-factly fashion, using her husband's words against him to poke fun. She shut the door as the agent walked to the bed, pretending to ignore her, and prepared herself for another night in the arms of Leon Scott Kennedy.

--

_It's been what...two weeks since I've updated? I know...I'm getting worse lol. Sorry for the long wait, my loyal readers...I truly wanted to update sooner, but things have a funny way of working out. Such as me getting sick with something, catching some writer's block, which I hope is temporary, as well as...well, I can't lie. Laziness. That's right, on top of everything else...laziness. So I apologize..._

_Okay, so I hope the chapter wasn't too boring for you...if you're confused at the timeline, I'll explain. This chapter takes place two weeks before the prologue chapter. That's right...we've traveled back in time. So...the whole riddle thing Leon was talking about...I know most of you have probably heard it somewhere, but it originated as the Riddle of the Sphinx. It was also in Devil May Cry 3 if I'm not mistaken...Oh! And do you guys think you know who killed those security guards?! It's a mystery! Wooooo...ahhhh...other spooky noises..._

_Ehem...sorry about that...anyway, the quote used at the beginning is by a man named Kurt Tucholsky. I thought it described...somebody. Also, it just sounds cool._

_Alright, so again...I'm sorry for the long wait for this update, and I hope it doesn't suck horribly. I did however want to go back and show how Leon and Ada were before their problems. And...well, it just happened to be fluffy...sorry...I can't help the fact that I love fluff. Also, a big thanks and tons of hugs for my reviewers...some of you are familiar to me...some not. But hopefully I'll know the new faces soon! If you feel like tossing some feedback my way, I'd appreciate it...if not, that's cool too. Either way...if you are reading, I hope you're enjoying it! This is why feedback is important! So I can see if people like it...lol. ONWARD TO CHAPTER THREE!_


	3. Chapter 2 : Bloodbath In Paradise

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

**--**

**Chapter Two : Bloodbath In Paradise**

_"The unstable mind cannot be held steady.  
Attached to duality, it wanders in the ten directions.  
It is a poisonous worm, drenched with poison,  
and in poison...it rots away." _

There is nothing in the world worse than being interrupted from a deep sleep. Especially when the sleep is well deserved and hard to come by. So when the sound of the phone began to fill the dark room, mercilessly pounding the silence with it's high pitched ringing, Leon couldn't help but groan loudly in frustration. The room that he and his wife shared was nearly pitch black, save for the neon green, radioactive glow of an alarm clock that rested on the bedside table. A clock which informed the weary and thoroughly annoyed government agent that it was five-thirty in the morning. On a Sunday.

"What the fuck...?" Leon mumbled sleepily, clumsily pawing for the telephone, which was beginning to drive him crazy with it's persistent ringing that he swore seemed to grow louder and louder. Finally managing to knock the phone from it's resting place and scoop it up, the blonde man brought the cordless device to his ear.

"Hello?" he murmured, still half asleep and anxious to curse at whoever dared to wake him at this ungodly hour.

"Leon? It's Hunnigan...we have a bit of a situation here." came the voice of Ingrid Hunnigan, one of Leon's co-workers and mission contact.

"Situation? What kind of situation?" Leon half-spoke, half-yawned into the receiver.

"Well, there was a bit of an accident. Yesterday, a tanker used for deep sea diving set sail for a tiny trip. It arrived back in Maryland this morning, not ten minutes before I called you. It wasn't scheduled to return for five days." the female agent informed, speaking slowly and allowing her words to sink in.

"So it came home early. What's the big deal?" Leon questioned, slowing waking up from his slumber. He sat up against the headboard of the queen-sized bed, and shot an anxious look at Ada, who still had her arm wrapped around his torso. Luckily, the phone's ringing hadn't disturbed her. With each light breath that she took, the warmth seemed to be sapped from her husband's side. However, each time she exhaled, she would replace the heat tenfold. Leon had watched her sleep many times, and each time he found her more and more intoxicating. As if watching her sleep was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Well, there was a situation, as I said, and they had no choice but to turn around as quickly as possible. Two people were killed on board. And two people are missing. The crew could only assume that the people who were missing are the ones who died." Hunnigan finally answered, snapping Leon's attention back to the matter at hand. But he had no idea what she meant by that statement.

"The people who are missing are the ones that died? What does that mean?" he asked, still slightly irritated with the lack of sleep.

"Given the nature of their deaths...well, it's tough to tell who they are." Hunnigan admitted solemnly.

"Can we please cut through the bullshit? What the hell happened?" Leon snapped, his impatience finally getting the better of him. Ada lightly moaned and stirred, reminding the ex-cop that he had to keep his voice down.

"Leon...have you ever heard of rapid decompression?" the female government agent queried.

_Shit...that's not good..._

"Also...the people that are missing...they're Claire Redfield and Angela Miller." Hunnigan added slowly, knowing full well that Leon was friends with both women.

"I'll be in as soon as possible." the blonde man announced, pressing the button on the phone which read "end". He then slid out of bed as quickly as possible, without waking Ada, and began to dress. Stuffing his cell phone into his jean pocket and pulling on a plain navy t-shirt, Leon made his way to the closet. He had just pulled out his favorite brown leather jacket, when he heard rustling on his bed. Leon glanced over his shoulder, meeting the sleepy eyes of his wife.

"Did they call you in?" Ada mumbled drowsily, as Leon was pulling on his jacket.

"Yeah...Hunnigan said there was a situation." he answered, making his way to Ada's side. When he reached the bed, Leon took a seat on the soft mattress beside his wife, who was now sitting up.

"I can't believe they called you in on your day off." the Eurasian beauty groaned in annoyance. Leon simply smiled, and brushed a messy lock of raven-colored hair from his tired wife's face. With a small sigh, Ada leaned against the government agent, pressing her face into the dark leather.

"Something happened on a diving vessel. I don't really know the full story. Apparently there are two people dead, and two missing. Hunnigan said that the people who are missing are most likely the ones who are dead, which I still don't fully understand." Leon admitted, wrapping his left arm around the warm, slender figure of his wife.

"Who was missing?" Ada implored, still noticeably struggling to fully awaken. Leon remained quiet for a few moments, before taking a deep breath.

"Claire Redfield and Angela Miller." he replied somberly. Leon felt Ada take her head off of his shoulder and look up at him. She knew all about Claire Redfield, and how Leon had met her in the exact same city and time as the then spy. They also met up again seven years later in Harvardville, which is where Leon also met Angela. The S.R.T. member had been a good friend, and even though she wanted to go beyond friendship, they still kept in contact from time to time. Leon had to admit, being with Angela four years ago at the Wilpharma facility had reminded him of how lonely he had been. Even he could feel a connection to Angela. But the connection that he felt with Angela was nothing compared to the one that he shared with his wife. And it was because of that fact, Leon realized that he could never have a romantic relationship with the S.R.T. member. But in the end, Angela and Leon had agreed to remain friends.

"I'm sorry honey. Maybe you should hurry...just in case." Ada suggested sympathetically, gently caressing the blonde man's arm. Leon nodded in accord, prompting the ex-assassin to deliver a swift kiss to his left cheek. The agent offered a light smile, and got up to walk to the bedroom door.

"I'll see you at the office later, okay?" the raven-haired woman said soothingly, as Leon was about to exit.

"Huh? Yeah...by the way...how are you feeling?" he probed, turning to face his wife. Ada automatically knew that he was referring to their conversation the night before, and she rubbed her stomach gingerly, with a small smile.

"I'm fine hun. Don't worry about me right now. You have enough to worry about as it is." she stated, propping her elbow on the bed to rest the side of her face against her palm. Leon nodded in agreement again, exiting his bedroom, and made his way downstairs to the front door. Grabbing his keys from the hook beside the wooden door, he quickly made his way out into the freezing December air. The air was so cold that it slightly hurt to breathe, and the visibility of each breath reminded Leon with every exhale just how frigid the temperature was. He rapidly piled into his navy SUV, immediately bringing it's engine to life and turning the heater on full blast. As he waited for the Jeep to completely warm up, Leon turned on the radio, and set the frequency to his favorite classic rock station, 107.7. Instead of playing music like the station was supposed to, there was instead a radio personality making sly remarks and people in the background howling with laughter. Sighing in annoyance, Leon rubbed his hands together to create friction, hoping to imbue some amount of warmth back into his palms. Finally fed up with waiting in silence, the blonde man was about to back out of his driveway, when he felt a light vibration on his left leg. Reaching into his pocket to fish his cell phone out, Leon saw that he had received a text message.

_Deale, Maryland. The docks. We sent Bruce to meet up with you._

The ex-cop snapped the phone shut on Hunnigan's cryptic message. It wasn't the first time that the government had decided to cut out the middle man and send him directly to the scene of a crime. Unfortunately for Leon, Deale was about thirty miles away from his home, which sat right within the heart of D.C. The government agent knew that he was in for a bit of a drive, so he wasted no time in backing out of his driveway and heading towards the interstate. Once on Pennsylvania Avenue, which was where he would be spending the majority of his time, Leon popped in a mix CD that Ada had spent her time making for him on one of her days off. One of his favorite artists, Jimi Hendrix, began laying guitar riffs and singing about a man named Joe, who had decided to shoot his wife because she was apparently cheating on him. Leon lost himself in the classic rock tunes that his wife had picked out for him, and he soon arrived in the unfamiliar city of Deale. Following road signs that directed him toward the Chesapeake Bay, he spotted a large shipping port. There were plenty of huge ships and tankers, but the one that really stood out was ship that was surrounded by flashing lights and hundreds of people. Local police were interviewing people, presumably witnesses, and there were others who were crying to family members.

_That's gotta be the ship then..._

Leon parked his vehicle as close as possible to the scene, and made sure to lock his doors when he exited. With a slight cringe, due to the massive size of the crowd, the blonde man made his way through the people and past the flimsy yellow tape, which was supposed to "discourage" any people from crossing who weren't involved with the investigation.

"Hey you! You're not supposed to be in here!" shouted an overzealous young cop, who looked like a rookie. The much younger man jogged up to the agent with a determined look on his face, and would most likely try and escort Leon out of the crime scene. Without even looking at the young cop, Leon pulled out his government identification badge and flashed it.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. I didn't know that you were with the government." the young cop apologized, bringing a small smile to the blonde man's face.

"Don't worry about it. You remind me of myself when I was that age." Leon replied, scanning the crowd for his friend. Finally finding the older agent, Leon waved him over.

"Leon! You made it." Bruce McGivern called, when he was within speaking distance.

"What have you learned?" the ex-cop probed, walking towards Bruce to close the distance faster. When they closed the gap, both men began walking towards the large tanker.

"Not much. I haven't gone in yet because I was waiting for you. All I know is the tiny bit of information that the local P.D. gave me. They say it's bad, and judging from the reactions of people who _have _gone in...well, I don't think that they were lying." the older agent admitted as they neared closer to the deep-sea diving vessel.

"Can you tell me what happened? Hunnigan didn't really specify." Leon informed, thinking of what could have possibly happened to his friends.

"Well, they keep saying that rapid decompression occurred. I've never really heard of it to be honest." Bruce confessed. The government agents made their way to the ship's opening, where a heavy-set man, dressed in a white police uniform was interviewing a male civilian. When the cop set eyes on the agents, he halted them from entering the ship.

"Hold on there gentlemen. My name is Frank Printz, Captain of the Deale police force. And who might you two be?" Frank queried, immediately stopping his conversation with the dark-haired man.

"My name is Leon Kennedy, and this is Bruce McGivern. We're both special government agents." Leon answered, both men showing their badges as proof.

"So I guess that you'd like to see what happened then. First off, have either of you ever heard of rapid decompression?" the police Captain questioned.

"Yeah. It happens in places where the pressure is controlled, such as this tanker. I've never heard of anything too serious when rapid decompression occurs though. Not on a ship at any rate." Leon proclaimed, getting a little anxious.

"Let me tell you son...the situation in there is _dead_ serious." Frank responded, causing Leon and Bruce to exchange similar glances.

"Tell them what you just told me." the cop requested, motioning to the dark-haired man that he had been interviewing earlier.

"Well...okay. Rapid decompression occurs when there is an unexpected drop in pressure in a sealed system. This can lead to a variety of things. We use decompression tanks on this ship. These chambers allow us to bring divers safely from the high-pressure atmosphere of deep submersion to normal pressures." the young man started, speaking quickly as though he had explained the same thing to a hundred different people.

"The divers had just come up from a dive, and they were in the chambers, ready for decompression. Everything was going smoothly, and everybody was doing what they were supposed to do. However...a clamp, which connected the diving bell to our chamber broke off somehow. The pressure..." the dark-haired man trailed off, obviously thinking of something terrible. Leon couldn't help but assume that he was thinking of the terrible fate that Claire and Angela had undoubtedly faced. Regaining composure, the man looked ready to speak again.

"The pressure inside the chamber...it dropped from nine atmospheres to one in the fraction of a second. The two divers...Claire Redfield and Angela Miller...they were closest to the chamber door when it happened..." the dark-haired man trailed off again, looking slightly ill.

"When what happened? Those women were good friends of mine." Leon stated, growing impatient and somewhat nauseous. He knew deep down that whatever had happened on that tanker was obviously a horrible sight, and that Claire and Angela hadn't made it out alive. The younger man looked shocked at Leon's statement, and he looked up at Frank, as if he was unsure on whether or not to continue. The middle-aged cop nodded solemnly, and the man brought his eyes back to Leon.

"Agent...Kennedy, right? I don't know exactly how to tell you this..." the dark-haired man began in uncertainty.

"Just say it. What happened to Claire and Angela?" Leon asked again.

"...When the pressure dropped...it happened so fast. Because of where your friends were...they got the worst of it. The gases in their bodies...they expanded to more than nine times in one heartbeat. They...they...literally exploded." the man cringed at the last part, bowing his head in regret. For a couple of seconds, Leon could have swore that his heart actually stopped beating. He felt his eyes grow wide with shock, and his throat felt parched.

"Oh my God..." Bruce breathed, looking at the ground.

"Maybe it's for the best that you don't go in there Agent Kennedy." Frank suggested, placing his hand on the agent's shoulder in sympathy. Leon didn't respond, instead choosing to stare off into space due to the sheer shock. The dark-haired man nodded in agreement, and Bruce cast Leon a weary look.

"I...I have to go in. It's my job." the ex-cop finally responded, taking a shaky step towards the tanker. Bruce was immediately at his side, and they walked inside the large ship together. As soon as they entered, Leon spotted small amounts of blood smeared on the wall.

"The decompression chambers are about eighty feet that way." Frank informed, startling the two agents. They turned around, and looked in the direction that Frank was pointing. Bruce nodded, and began walking in the direction, followed by Leon. Both men walked slowly, and had the exact same thoughts about Frank's information.

_If the chambers are eighty feet away and we're already seeing blood, then...what must the chambers themselves look like?_

As they neared ever closer to where the tragic event had transpired, it was made more and more evident of what happened. Blood now decorated the walls and floor like paint. As they continued to walk, Bruce and Leon would occasionally step on teeth or soft chunks of tissue and other things that neither man cared to think about. The men came to a stop, and just stared at the wall in front of them as the hallway turned right. It was on this wall that intersected the halls, that it looked as if an entire human being had been shot out of a high speed cannon, and smacked into the steel structure. A huge amount of blood had pooled at the base of the wall, due to the crimson liquid seeping down. There were dark red globs and wads of human remains stuck to the facade, as well as several clumps of hair, whose colors were distorted because of the massive amount of blood. Bruce held his hand to his mouth, and Leon could actually hear the other man's stomach churning in disgust. He was no doubt reminded of the "Spencer Rain Cruiser Ship" that he had been aboard a few years back, in which another outbreak had occurred.

"Leon...I'm sorry man...I just can't..." Bruce groaned, dry heaving in between words. Leon nodded in understanding, as Bruce turned back around, making his way towards the exit for some fresh air. The blonde man watched his friend leave for a few minutes, before turning his attention back to wall. The tanker was dead quiet, and Leon could hear his labored breathing as he turned the corner. As if the previous hallway hadn't been bad enough, the new hallway was littered with much larger parts of the human body, most of which belonged on the inside.

_Fuck this...everybody has their limits._

With that thought, Leon quickly turned around and made his way to the exit. Eventually, the blood died down to a minimum, and the agent made his way through the door, gulping in large amounts of fresh air. He hadn't realized how bad the stench of death had actually been until he was out of the huge ship. Upon spotting Leon, Bruce made his way over, still looking quite paler than usual.

"How was it?" Bruce asked cautiously.

"I couldn't...I didn't make it to the chambers. They'll have to send somebody else." Leon professed, taking another deep breath. Bruce nodded in agreement, and the men began to walk towards the crime scene tape, hoping to quickly get back to D.C. Not because they were particularly eager to get back to work, but because they wanted to get the hell out of Deale. They made their way passed the dark-haired man that had supplied the information, and Leon offered a nod.

"Agent Kennedy? I just really wanted to offer my condolences to you and Agent McGivern here. I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your friends." the young man stated, as Leon and Bruce passed by. Upon hearing those words, the government agents stopped and turned to face the dark-haired man.

"Thanks...and we also have to thank you for your help today, Mr...?" Leon trailed off, realizing that he had never caught the young man's name.

"Joe. My name is Joe. And I was happy to help you gentlemen." the dark-haired man replied with an assuring smile. Leon gave another nod of acknowledgement, and the men continued towards the tape, where a large man was getting loud with a couple of local police officers. The man's hair was dark brown, and gelled into a messy hairdo. He had a couple of days of dark growth on his face, and his large muscles were made quite noticeable with the way that he was balling up his fists. The slender brunette woman standing next to him looked as worried with the man's behavior as the young cop did.

"I don't give a damn! You're going to let me through one way or the other!" the man shouted furiously, pointing his finger at the rookie cop that had stopped Leon.

"Sir, I've never even heard of the B.S.A.A. You don't have permission to cross this line, and you definitely don't have permission to enter that ship." the young man replied, pointing at the large tanker with his thumb.

"What's going on over here?" Leon questioned, coming to the rookie cop's assistance.

"I'll tell you what's going on. This guy is telling me that I'll be arrested if I pass this line, when I have every right to! On top of that, nobody is telling me a fucking thing, even though my God damn sister was on that ship!" the older man bellowed indignantly, looking as if he was about to snap at any minute. The young woman next to him rubbed his arm, trying to calm the man's rage, although it didn't seem to help.

_Sister? Oh no..._

Leon's eyes paused on the man, and he felt his heart rate increase again, just as it had inside the tanker.

"Chris Redfield?" the blonde man spoke softly, hoping with every fiber of his being that he was mistaken. However, when the man raised his eyebrows in suspicion, Leon automatically received his answer.

"That's right. And who are you?" Chris implored, his voice lowering. The rookie cop looked relieved, and quickly walked away, happy to get away from the angry older man.

"Leon Kennedy. I'm a friend of your sister." the ex-cop responded, garnering a bewildered look from Chris.

"The same Leon Kennedy that helped my sister escape Raccoon City?" the B.S.A.A. agent asked curiously. Leon nodded, confirming Chris' suspicions.

"Good. Maybe now we can get some answers." the brunette woman spoke up on behalf of Chris, who seemed to have calmed down to his normal self.

"Jill, why don't you wait in the car honey? I don't think we'll be here much longer now." Chris said to his companion. The woman named Jill nodded, and trotted off towards the vehicle.

"Okay Kennedy...tell me where the hell my sister is." the B.S.A.A agent demanded, waiting for his answer. Leon looked over at Bruce, silently pleading with the older man to break the news. Luckily for the younger agent, Bruce understood and stepped in Leon's spot as he began walking towards his Jeep.

"Where's he going?" Chris queried, as Leon continued to walk off. The blonde man didn't hear Bruce's response, but as he opened the door to his SUV, he cringed at an inaudible word that Chris yelled after the older agent had presumably told him of Claire's cruel death.

_I've got to get out of here..._

Leon sped through the streets of Deale, and made his way back on the interstate. His radio remained quiet, as he thought of what another person's reaction would be like with the news of Claire's death. Her boyfriend, Ark Thompson, another friend of the agent. Leon could only assume that he would be crushed and heartbroken with the news, which was why he wasn't looking forward to telling him. Especially since the ex-cop knew exactly how that felt, when he experienced what he thought was Ada's death a decade ago. And, as selfish as it was, Leon hoped that Hunnigan had already told Ark what had happened. The drive back to D.C. seemed to move much faster than it did in the opposite direction, as Leon was in a daze throughout the whole trip. Before the agent knew it, he was pulling up at the government building that he and his wife worked at. Leon quickly found a parking space, noticing the familiar red Dodge Viper parked near the front, and he made his way inside. Passing through all of the security checkpoints proved to be a bit of a hassle, but he finally made his way to his office. When Leon opened the door, he found that Ada was already in there waiting for him. When she spotted the blonde man, she rushed towards him, embracing him tightly.

"I just heard what happened. I'm so sorry honey." Ada empathized, burying her face into the crook of her husband's neck. Leon sighed, wrapping his arms completely around the Eurasian beauty's slender figure.

"Are you okay?" Ada spoke softly with her soothing voice, instantly making Leon feel a little better.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm a little worried about telling Ark though." Leon admitted, inhaling the sweet scent of lilacs that permeated around any room that his wife was in.

"Don't worry Leon...I told him already. Agent Lawrence gave him a little vacation time." the raven-haired woman informed, causing the ex-cop to lightly tighten the embrace that they were sharing, before releasing her.

"Thank you so much hun. I was dreading having to break the news." Leon professed, offering a light, but warm smile. Ada returned the smile, gently caressing her husband's shoulder, as if she was attempting to alleviate some invisible ailment.

"No problem. Well, unfortunately I have to get back to work. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked again, for confirmation. The agent nodded, causing some of his strawberry blonde hair to fall in his face, which his wife immediately fixed by brushing it back with her fingers.

"Okay then...I'll see if I can get Lawrence to let you go home early and possibly have a couple days off. I love you sweetheart." Ada proclaimed, turning the knob of the door. Even with the deaths of two close friends, Leon still mustered up a smile at his wife's words.

"I love you too hun." he returned, garnering a pleasant smile from Ada. She was about to exit, when she suddenly turned around, as if remembering something important.

"Oh, by the way...a guy came by about five minutes before you got here. He left that." the ex-spy announced, pointing to a brown, medium-sized package that was resting on Leon's desk. With that, Ada left, softly shutting the door behind her, leaving Leon to furrow his eyebrows at the box in confusion. With a small shrug, the agent walked to his desk, and began to open the package. He had to use a bit of power to get it open, but the tape finally gave, revealing the contents. There was a heavy, metal object, resting on top of a piece of notebook paper. Leon grabbed the metal item, examining it from all angles. Something about it looked familiar, although he couldn't quite place his finger on it. It looked like it belonged to a piece of machinery of some sort.

_What the hell is this thing? Some kind of part...a brace? Some kind of vise maybe? ...A clamp? Wait...clamp?_

Leon's eyes widened, as he realized what he was holding. He knew that he recognized something about it, and it happened to be the paint job. The dark blue paint that was faded, and peeling away from years of use, just like all of the other parts in the ship. He quickly placed the clamp on the wooden desk, and fished around inside the box for the piece of paper. The handwriting used was a bit messy, but the letter was still readable. Quickly scanning the paper and feeling his pulse speed up, he couldn't help but allow the letter to drop when he was done reading it.

_Dear Agent Kennedy,_

_Happy birthday! Well, late birthday, but better late then never, right? I hope you like it...it took a while to remove the damn thing. But the results were a blast! I was also hoping that you'd like to take part in a little game. Don't worry...it's a fun game...I can promise you that we'll have a great time! And it's really easy too! It's called 'cops and a homicidal maniac'. A little twist on the old favorite 'cops and robbers'. That has to be a bit boring by now huh? Don't worry...I don't intend to take up too much of your time, because I can tell that you are __dying__ to get started. First off, I'd like to take a little time to plead my case. Isn't a little ironic that crazy people are the only ones who plead that they aren't insane? It's all of the normal people who are so quick to call themselves crazy. So here's a question. If I tell you "Yeah, I'm crazy" does that make me normal like you? Or does it make me a crazy person who has come to terms with my condition? Either way, it doesn't really matter. Because if you do manage to win, I'll get sent to the nut house, right? You know...I've heard good things about Micawber Asylum. Well, I'm sure you're just itching to play, so here's the first set of clues. And remember to have fun Agent Kennedy, because I KNOW that I will!_

_You can find me in darkness, but never in light,  
I am present in daytime, but absent at night,  
In the deepest of shadows, I hide in plain sight.  
What am I?_

_Here's a little more food for thought._

_A beautiful girl frozen in time,  
Her life taken in a terrible crime,  
Cut down in her prime, but not in her youth,  
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,_

_She stands all day, as cold as steel,  
Showing no mercy, and accepting no deal,  
She requires blood, and opens your veins,  
Muffling your screams, and ignoring your pain._

_Here are the rules of our game. The first riddle will do no good without the other ones that I have. The first one is a part of my "master plan", so to speak. However, if you solve the second riddle...well, it just might save somebody's life. Au revoir Agent Kennedy, and good luck!_

--

_And so it begins. Okay, first off...lol...I feel pretty bad for Claire and Angela. Dying the way they did...well, it's pretty brutal. But it's true! There was four divers in Norway in 1983, and it happened to one of them. Everybody else died in other ways. But here's a little bit of information if you feel bad. The death that the diver had, just like Claire and Angela's was most likely painless. So there. Oh and by the way, I thought that I'd take the time to give support to a little known pairing that was included in this chapter...that's right...Claire/Ark, or as me and my friend like to call it, ClArk! Give support to the ClArk pairing!! XD_

_Anyways, the quote at the beginning was by a dude named Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It's purty cool if'n ya ask me. Sorry about that...  
Also, the song that Leon was listening to on the way to Deale was called "Hey Joe". And yes, it is by Jimi Hendrix...well, not really because it's a cover song, but...you know..._

_Okay...I was honestly feeling bad about black widow and deer...sorry...those are nicknames for Claire and Angela. Anyway, I was feeling bad about them...until I wrote the letter at the end. Because that was fun. What can I really say? Writing a crazy guy is fun..._

_Alrighty, well I hope that my readers and awesome reviewers liked this chapter. Here's an interesting little piece of info...this is the longest chapter that I've written since like...chapter 15 of Don't Do Me Like That. Thought you guys should know lol. Anyway Leon/Ada fans and RE fans alike, if you're reading this message, you gotta leave me some feedback. Or else...uh...something will happen. That's right...these author notes are chain mail...XD...okay, no it isn't, but still! Send me some love (or hate) por favor!_


	4. Chapter 3 : The Trooper

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**The Trooper**

_"Science has not yet taught us if madness  
__is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence."_

_"It wasn't an accident." Leon proclaimed, after slowly opening the door to his wife's office. Ada's typing immediately halted, and her eyes flickered up from the vibrant computer monitor to meet Leon's._

_"Come again?" she inquired, obviously quite confused by her husband's actions. Leon was very aware of the fact that he sometimes wore his emotions on his sleeves; hell, had done so for the majority of his life. And by the look in Ada's eyes, he could tell that she was very concerned for him. Most likely due to the fact that she could always read him like a book, so he knew that his despair was all too clear to her._

_"The tanker incident...Claire and Angela were murdered." he affirmed, dropping his gaze to the cold floor. He heard Ada gasp in disbelief, but still couldn't bring himself to lock eyes with her again._

_"Are you sure?" the ex-assassin asked in the small chance that he was perhaps mistaken. Leon nodded, and brought the faded blue piece of machinery from behind his back._

_"Pretty sure."_

Leon shook himself from his thoughts, and gazed back down at the piece of paper that rested on his kitchen table. The handwriting was different, but the riddles were the same. It had been two days since Leon had received the package in his office, and he still hadn't figured out the meaning behind the cryptic clues. After he informed his wife of what had really happened, he quickly scribbled the riddles onto another piece of paper, and turned the original copy over to his boss for DNA testing and possible fingerprint analysis. Ada had managed to talk Leon's superior, Agent Lawrence, into letting him have off for three days, and while she meant well, Leon couldn't help but wish he was at work. Anything was better than slowly going crazy trying to figure out a puzzle that would determine whether or not another person lived or died.

_Okay, focus Kennedy. The first riddle is a tough one, but the second one seems easier. Let's focus on that one first. The person keeps referring to a "her" and a "she". "She" is cold. "She" shows no mercy. "She"...kills you. This doesn't make any sense..._

Leon sighed irritably, and glared at the paper, as if to intimidate it. Needless to say, it didn't work, and the only result that happened was the letters and words began to dance about. The blonde man rubbed his eyes, and the dancing stopped. The words returned to their original places, but the answer didn't magically appear like Leon had hoped. Instead, a slight pounding in his temples informed him that he was working too hard, even though it was his day off. The agent held both of his index fingers to the side of his head, and could feel his pulsating veins with each pounding sensation. He applied a little more pressure with his fingers, and it felt a little better. Which was yet another mystery to Leon, who always wondered why constricting the veins helped, instead of causing more pain. In a couple of minutes, the pain dissipated entirely, offering some amount of relief to the weary agent. Leon brought his eyes back down on the taunting notebook paper, and read the second riddle for what must have been the billionth time.

_A beautiful girl frozen in time, her life taken in a terrible crime, cut down in her prime, but not in her youth, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. She stands all day, as cold as steel, showing no mercy, and accepting no deal. She requires blood, and opens your veins, muffling your screams, and ignoring your pain._

_Cold as steel...she stands all day...frozen in time. Maybe...possibly an inanimate object of some sort. That makes some degree of sense. Okay...now what stays still, is as cold as steel...and is a woman? A statue perhaps?_

Leon shook his head and stood up from his chair in defeat. It didn't really matter whether or not he solved the riddle anyway. If the riddle was indeed describing how the person was going to be killed, that didn't help at all with _where _the person was going to be killed. The only exception in this case would be either if the death was slow, or somehow timed. Leon wandered over to the coffee pot, and set to work preparing a pot. He turned the machine on, and it instantly came to life, running the hot water over the coffee grounds, resulting in dark liquid pooling in the pot. As the percolator brewed the coffee, Leon paced through his kitchen miserably. The clues still weren't adding up, and if time was actually of the essence, then the sands were falling against him. The coffee pot finally sputtered for the final time, so Leon poured himself a cup. The warm, caffeine enriched beverage easily slid into his throat, filling him with warmth. However, he didn't have time to fully enjoy his coffee, as the phone began to ring. Leon quickly set his mug on the counter, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he asked, initiating the standard phone call procedure.

"Leon? Hey man...it's Ark." Ark Thompson informed, his voice sounding only slightly shaky. Leon could only guess that he was still in shock over Claire's death, and he couldn't blame him at all. Ark and Claire had grown very close over the past year or so, and if not for Claire's untimely death, there probably would have been wedding bells in the future.

"Ark? Hey, how are you doing?" Leon questioned gently, hoping not to insult Ark's intelligence too much. Leon knew very well how he was doing.

"I've seen better times. I just wanted to call and see if you got anywhere with those riddles. I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch that murdered Claire..." Ark added, spewing vehement venom all over the last sentence. Leon was glad that Ark wasn't talking to him in person, or he would have seen the bewildered look that came across his face. Leon wasn't even aware that Ark knew the facts about what had happened, or about the package. Then again, news travels pretty rapidly in the agency.

"Uh...no, I haven't figured them out yet. But, I've been racking my brain for two days straight...Ark...we're going to get whoever did that to Claire and Angela. We'll bring them to justice...I promise you that." Leon responded carefully. It wasn't the blonde man's intention to rile Ark up anymore than he already was, and when he heard a soft sigh on the other end of the receiver, he almost breathed one himself.

"Yeah...I know you're right. I'm trying to keep a cool head, but...it's just hard...you know?" Ark said softly. It almost sounded as if he wanted to burst out into tears. Leon wouldn't blame him if he did that either. Not as many times as he had broken down after Raccoon City, remembering all of the fear, pain, and sorrow that he associated that city with. Ark had no idea just how much Leon could identify with his situation.

"Yeah. Are you sure you're going to be okay? Because, you can come over if you'd like. Trust me, I don't mind at all, and neither does Ada." Leon suggested, trying to be a supportive friend. The agent heard a soft chuckle from Ark, and he wondered if that was a good thing.

"I'll be fine. No need to worry about me. It's strange...everybody is being so nice to me because of...you know. It even seems like strangers are." Ark admitted thoughtfully.

"I mean, I met this guy yesterday in a diner...said his name was Joe. One of the nicest guys I've met in D.C. for a while. The funny thing is, we got to talking, and he said he knew who you were. He said he met you in...uh...Deale." Ark continued, a little reluctant to speak the name of the town that, what was left of Claire, was found in.

_Joe? Who was...oh yeah...the docks..._

"I don't really remember him." Leon lied, not wanting to accidentally wade into dangerous waters.

"Well, anyway, he even invited me over to his place on Monday to watch the game and have a couple beers. Sounds pretty good if you ask me." Ark added.

"It would probably do you some good." Leon agreed.

"Anyway, I'm gonna let you go man. Good luck on the...uh...the riddles." Ark offered, genuinely hoping that Leon's ability to solve puzzles came through this time.

"I'll get it. Later man." Leon answered, ending the call. Keeping the phone in his hand, Leon walked to the kitchen table, leaving the forgotten cup of coffee on the counter. He snatched the piece of paper from it's wooden resting place, and made his way to the living room, where he plopped on the couch. The agent sprawled across the leather furniture, and read the paper's contents for the billion and first time. Leon figured that he probably had the damn thing memorized by now. Closing his eyes slowly, he searched the deepest recesses of his brain for an answer.

_Leon looked around. There was no way in hell he was where he thought he was. Everything was vivid...as it always is. The dim lighting, the sound of his boots on the metal catwalk, the smell of sulphur permeating around him, originating from the large vat of molten metal below. But something was wrong. Something was different...it wasn't quite right. He looked down, and instead of seeing the filthy, blood soaked R.P.D. uniform that he always did, clothes that he had been wearing earlier took their place. This had never happened before in the entire decade that Leon had been haunted by this nightmare. There was a loud crash behind him, followed by a gasping sound. A sound that he knew all too well. Leon spun around, and saw what he always did. There stood Mr. X, easily lifting Ada off the ground by her throat. She choked, fighting for even the smallest breath. This scene was different too. Instead of wearing the red cocktail dress and black stockings, Ada donned black jeans and a crimson tank top. Leon rushed forward, but as always, he was too late. Mr. X swiftly punched Ada with a devastating force in the stomach, which hurled her through the air like a rag doll. She slammed on the metal catwalk with such force that she violently bounced after landing. Mr. X escaped into the shadows, and all Leon could do was rush to her side._

_"L-...Leon..." Ada choked out, obviously finding it difficult to breath, let alone speak._

_"Oh God...Ada...what do I do?" Leon spoke with a frantic voice. Everything was wrong. It was different. The clothes, Mr. X's attack, and even the words spoken._

_"The...the..." she breathed, covering her mouth to break out into a coughing fit. When she brought her hand down, crimson liquid stained her cream colored skin._

_"The baby...is she...is she okay...?" Ada asked, looking down at her stomach. Leon froze at her words. Why was the dream different? Blood pooled around Ada's body as she drew her parting groan. Leon's eyes stung viciously, as he looked down at his wife. He brought her closer in his arms, and sobbed quietly against her shoulder, which felt colder than it should have. When he pulled back, he gasped in sheer horror, not only at the blood that surrounded Ada, more importantly, where the blood was coming from._

_"NOOOOO!!!"_

Leon bolted into a sitting position immediately, his entire body drenched in the coldest sweat that he had ever experienced. That was without a doubt the most horrifying dream that he had ever had. Leon wiped the back of his neck with a clammy hand, and tried to slow his breathing and pulse back to normal speeds. Without warning, the phone suddenly began ringing, filling the house with it's shrill noise. After Leon recovered from jumping in surprise, he picked up the receiver.

"H-hello?" Leon answered, startled by the sound of his own voice.

"Are you okay honey? You sound a little shaken up." came the always sultry voice of his wife. Leon had never in his life been so happy to hear her voice.

"Yeah...everything's fine here. How are you? And the baby...how is she doing?" the blonde man questioned, having finally returned his breathing to normal levels.

"I'm okay. The baby's fine too. Wait a minute...why did you call the baby a she?" Ada replied. The agent didn't really know why he had chosen those words. The only answer he could think of was the fact that Ada referred to the baby as a she in his dream. But, Leon wasn't about to tell Ada the details of his nightmare. _He_ didn't even want to know them. Leon was about to respond, when there was a sound of a door opening, and the voice of Agent Lawrence.

"Leon? Hold on a minute hun..." Ada interjected. Leon could make out Lawrence say something about a tape, but after that, it was inaudible. Following Lawrence's sentence, Ada sounded worried, and asked about who dropped it off. After what felt like an eternity, the door shut again, and Ada spoke only to Leon.

"Umm...Leon? We got another clue. This audio tape just came in...it was sent to your office. I'm going to play it for you." the Eurasian beauty informed. Even though Ada couldn't see him, Leon simply nodded. There was some rustling, followed by the sound of a click.

"Agent Kennedy...you disappoint me. Here I thought you would be the perfect participant for my game. But you still haven't figured the riddle out, have you? Well, perhaps the puzzle was a bit too obscure. Allow me to help you. Here's the last clue that I can give you, so listen closely. The trooper." a man's voice spoke. His voice sounded familiar, like it wasn't as deep as it should have been, but it was by no means high-pitched. Leon tossed the new clue around his head for a minute, before grabbing a pen and writing it down on the paper with the riddles.

"One last thing. I'm not really one to...work in the shadows. Where's the fun in that? Why should I hide who I am, right? We met on the docks in Deale. Remember Joe? I explained the rapid decompression stuff. Yep, that was me! And to think...you could have easily stopped me then! Also, that buddy of yours...Ark...something...anyway, he's a real nice guy. I almost feel bad about killing his future wife..." Joe continued thoughtfully, before chuckling. Leon's head was buzzing with the new information.

_Joe...at the docks. He...it was him. It was him all along. And Ark..._

"Well, I gotta run. It's been nice...kinda talking with you again Agent Kennedy. Remember...the trooper. The clock is ticking..." Joe cut himself off with a giggle.

"Are you going to let _him_ die too?" the madman finished, again erupting into a laughing fit. The tape clicked, signifying that it was finished, and a moment later Ada was back on.

"You still there?" she probed softly.

"Alright, we don't have much time. I need you to call Ark and ask him where Joe's address is." Leon replied steadily, getting up to rush to the computer in the living room.

"Okay, I can do that. What about you?" Ada asked, sounding unsure as to why she would be asking Ark for that information. Leon reached the computer, and hastily brought up the Internet page.

"I'm going to try and find out whatever "the trooper" means. Don't tell Ark why you need the address. Just...please get it, and call me back when you do." the blonde man responded, running a search for the words "the trooper".

"I'll get it. Love ya." the raven-haired woman answered, hanging up the phone.

_Okay...what do we have? The trooper...The Trooper live by Iron Maiden...The Trooper lyrics...Iron Maiden...The Trooper song by Iron Maiden. What the hell is with all of this? The Trooper performed by Iron Maiden...this isn't helping._

Leon exited out of the page, and quickly slipped on his jacket. Making sure to lock the door, he made his way to his navy SUV, and started it up. The agent wanted to be ready for his wife's call, so he held his cell phone in his hands, rolling it back and forth in anxiety.

_The trooper...a lot of good that clue did...the only thing that kept popping up was song lyrics and other crap...something about it was kinda...familiar though._

Leon fished around inside his right pocket for the folded up piece of paper.

_She requires your blood and opens your veins...she stands all day, as cold as steel...The Trooper...by Iron Maiden...iron maiden. Oh shit..._

Leon put the Jeep in reverse, and screeched the tires as he exited his driveway. He didn't know which way Joe's address was, but almost anything was better than standing still. The only thing worse would be traveling in the opposite direction, which he hoped he wasn't. The Jeep screamed through traffic, running red lights, and ignoring stop signs. Leon usually didn't drive in this manner, as he didn't have a siren equipped in his vehicle, but there aren't any rules during a race. Especially a race against time. And catching attention by the police wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing at this point. The least they could do would be to escort Leon's SUV. As Leon continued to travel at excessive speeds, he felt a vibration in his pocket. The agent hastily withdrew his cell phone, and hoped to God that Ada answered.

"Ada?" Leon implored anxiously.

"I've got the address Leon. It's 514 north Maple Street. That's what Ark said anyway. You're going to wait for backup though, right?" Ada asked, only concerned with Leon, and his well-being.

"No time hun, but I'll give you all the details. According to the tape, which you heard, the victim is a male. He's being held at that address, and I've figured out the riddle. It's...it's an iron maiden." Leon replied, taking a sharp right that he narrowly missed. The blonde man had gotten lucky, and was traveling closer to the address, instead further away.

"An iron maiden?" Ada whispered in disbelief.

"Leon, please wait for backup." she continued, pleading with her husband to listen to reason.

"I can't waste anymore time Ada. I just can't. You can send a couple of guys though...anyway, I'm almost there. Gotta go...love you too, by the way." Leon announced, referring to their earlier phone conversation. After ending the call, he replaced the cellular device into his pocket. The agent knew exactly where the address was, and he knew exactly what type of building it was. Turning the final corner, Leon applied more pressure to the accelerator. The road was clear, and the building was in sight. A large, condemned building, due for demolishing at any time. Ark obviously didn't know this area very well, or he would have realized that this was no house or apartment complex. Leon barreled into the deserted parking lot, and slammed on the brakes. Once the vehicle completely stopped, he killed the engine, and reached into the glove compartment, where he found his trusty Desert Eagle. Grabbing the large handgun, Leon exited the SUV, and cautiously crept to the door, which was boarded shut. With a sigh, Leon tucked the gun into the front of his jeans, and grabbed one of the boards. He was about to try and yank it off, when something caught his eye. On the left side of the structure, there was a window which should have also been boarded up. However, the wooden barriers were conveniently missing. The ex-cop quickly made his way to the open window, careful to draw his weapon again.

He aimed into the darkness, but there was almost no visibility. Satisfied, Leon climbed into the building, scanning every inch of the room with his sharp eyes. The inside of the structure was ancient, and it was very clear why the building was condemned. The ceiling was crumbling, and it looked as if it could cave in at any time. Large amounts of dust could be seen floating about, thanks to the beams of sunlight that penetrated through the large cracks in the ceiling, as well as through the wooden planks that blocked almost all of the entrances and exits. Leon's eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now, so he began to traverse the building. He kept his gun parallel with his face, as he had been trained to do, so that he would be prepared should anything decide to jump out. However, nothing did, and the structure remained dead quiet, which unnerved Leon more than anything.

_Am I already too late?_

The blonde man continued to walk to the right of a crumbling wall. It appeared that there was another section of the building to the left, so Leon hugged against the wall. He ignored the dust and other particles that filled his nostrils with each breath, and peered from behind the wall. There it stood; a massive concrete structure in the shape of a coffin. It had to have been at least eight feet tall, and there was a large, red question mark spray-painted onto the front. Leon looked down at the floor in horror, and saw that blood had pooled at the base of the iron maiden, due to a steady stream originating from whoever was unlucky enough to be imprisoned inside. Leon ran his hand across the cold coffin, and prepared to open it, when he was interrupted by loud sirens growing closer.

_Please God be an ambulance..._

The agent rushed towards the entrance, slamming his shoulder into the door when he reached it. The old wood groaned in protest, but didn't give. This time Leon used his boot, and with strength that he didn't know he possessed, the dry-rotted planks snapped, and the door swung open. As soon as the entrance was usable again, the ambulance pulled up into the parking lot.

_God...I love you Ada..._

Leon waved the driver closer, and the large vehicle began backing up towards the entrance. When the ambulance stopped, the back doors burst open, and two paramedics rushed to meet Leon. Both looked to be pretty young, and the blonde man doubted that they had ever dealt with a situation like this before.

"Follow me!" Leon ordered, sprinting towards in the direction of the iron maiden. He heard one set of footsteps behind him, and he hoped that the other man would soon follow, preferably with a gurney. The ex-cop took the left that he knew would lead to the victim, and skidded to a stop. The red-headed paramedic also stopped, staring at the blood soaked ground in shock.

"Help me get this thing open." the agent insisted, grasping the door of the iron maiden. The paramedic nodded, and also grabbed hold of the concrete structure. With their combined effort, the door finally opened, surprising both men. The blades that were fixed to the door were covered in crimson life force, and the blades in the back stuck inside the man, holding him in place. The man was older than Leon, and had long brown hair. The blonde man's stomach churned when he realized that he had met this man before. Although the man was wearing a long sleeved shirt, Leon knew all too well that there was a large tribal tattoo concealed on his right arm.

"Jesus Christ..." the other paramedic groaned, having finally arrived with a gurney, which he rapidly set up. His task completed, he joined the red-headed paramedic in carefully prying the man's body off of the sharp pieces of metal that pierced throughout various places. Finally freeing him from his prison, they gently laid him on the gurney, and checked his vitals.

"We have a pulse! He needs immediate medical attention...let's get him back to the ambulance." the red-headed paramedic informed, and began pushing the man to the exit. Leon walked beside the gurney, when he noticed something. Reaching for the man's neck, he pulled off the dog tags that he was wearing.

"What's his name?" the young paramedic asked curiously.

"Billy...Billy Coen." Leon answered, pocketing the dog tags. When they reached the outside world, the two paramedics wasted no time in loading Billy into the back. Leon saw that Kevin Ryman and Bruce had arrived just as the back doors slammed shut, and the ambulance took off.

"Who was it?" Kevin questioned anxiously. Leon simply handed the older man the ex-Marine's dog tags in response, and began walking towards his Jeep.

_We've got a serious problem..._

--

_I'm feeling a little...eh about this chapter. Hopefully it doesn't seem as rushed to you guys as it did to me, but...well, I really needed to dust this fic off and update lol. Besides...it's part of my present for a friend...who will be reading this tomorrow morning, I'm sure. After all, that's her birthday. So, this chapter is dedicated to the one and only Alaska Kennedy. Surprise DJ!! You get to wake up to an update! XD_

_Anyways, I've got a question for the idiot that wrote this chapter lol. If everything on the building was boarded up except a window, how in the hell did an iron maiden get in there? My response : I have no idea...Joe's magic I guess..._

_I'm so anxious for you guys to tell me how obvious that riddle was by the way...I mean, the second clue pretty much gave it away. And if you're feeling like I do, you're pissed off at what happened to Billy. Stupid author! Sorry...I like Billy a hell of a lot more than I do Angela and Claire. Oh! I just thought of another dumb question! How does Billy have his dog tags, when Rebecca took them? My response : Umm...you'll see...stop being so damn nosy! XD_

_I've dragged this on for far too long...anyway, the quote at the beginning is by Edgar Allan Poe. The Trooper is an actual song by Iron Maiden (it's awesome by the way! Listen to it! Free plug Maiden!!) and by using music, Joe is also starting to remind me of Christian Bale's character in American Psycho. Ever seen it? Crap...I'm totally doing it again...to recap, Happy Birthday DJ, thanks to all of my reviewers, and please toss me some feedback. There...I'm done now. Seriously...I'm totally done..._


	5. Chapter 4 : And Justice For All

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**...And Justice For All**

_"A sickened mind and spirit,  
The mirror tells me lies,  
Could I mistake myself for someone,  
Who lives behind my eyes?  
Will he escape my soul, or will he live in me?  
Is he trying to get out, or trying to enter me?"_

He sat in the corner of the cramped room watching the young woman sleep. He figured she was sleeping anyway, as no one had remained unconscious for as long as she had. The small room was really nothing special, and didn't have much of anything to look at. It reeked of despair and other uneasy feelings, not that the man minded that much. Of course, the woman, if and when she ever woke up would surely have a problem with the room's technical design. It wasn't made to be particularly uncomfortable, but with no outstanding features, other than a dirty concrete floor, four walls complete with peeling yellow wallpaper, and a slightly rusted steel door, it managed to give off a slight vibe of claustrophobia. Not to mention the dusty sixty watt light bulb that swung back and forth every now and then, offering the dimmest lighting available. As a matter of fact, the dark-haired man was having a bit of trouble even seeing the slumbering woman who would whimper softly from time to time. He assumed that no matter how long he was down here, his eyes simply wouldn't adjust to the insubstantial amount of light. However, he once again heeded this fact no mind, as it was really of no concern to him. The woman on the other hand...

_This basement is enough to drive a person crazy. Good thing I won't be sticking around...I still have so much work to do..._

Joe smiled, relaxing against the cool, dank wall. It wasn't too cold in the room, but with the concrete floor offering no protection, and with no insulation surrounding the basement, it was at the very least, a bit chilly. As a matter of fact, Joe found it very peculiar that the room wasn't colder than what it was, what with it being December and all. Especially December in the Northeast.

_Just...another...riddle._

The woman continued to breathe softly, obviously still unaware of her location. Joe peered at her through the darkness, turning his neck at an obscure angle until he got three satisfying cracks to sound. The woman was also another riddle, as all people are.

_People...they're they biggest enigma of all._

Even at an early age, Joe had taken a liking to riddles. How they could be so complicated, but at the same time so simple. How most of the time you have to free your mind to find the answer. Joe always thought that the best riddles were the ones that appeared more difficult than what they really were. The ones where the answer could actually be found on the surface of the context, rather than having a deeper, more meaningful answer. Of course, there would always be the types of people who felt the need to complicate things more than necessary. To search for answers that don't exist.

"It's such an easy game, but he doesn't see. Not yet..." Joe mused softly, garnering a soft moan from the woman in the corner.

"Isn't that right Mademoiselle?" the dark-haired man continued, resting his cheek on his closed fist. She didn't answer, and all Joe could think to do was chuckle quietly. With a soft sigh, he plucked a black object out of the back pocket of his jeans. The object was flat enough for it's purpose, and the grooves engraved on the surface acted as extra grip. Joe carefully rolled the object back and forth between his hands, before finally embedding his thumb against the piece of metal that jutted out. With a quick snap of his wrist, as well as a flick of his thumb, the object clicked, revealing the full eight and a half inches of the switchblade knife. Even with the lackluster amount of light, the polished surface of the blade managed to gleam, as did the serrated edge at the bottom. Joe grinned again as he thought of another of his favorite pastimes. Pain. His life had been full of pain growing up. While he didn't particularly enjoy receiving pain, he very much enjoyed inflicting it.

_It's better to give than to receive...especially around the holidays..._

Joe tried, but failed to suppress the laugh that erupted from within him. Even though his laughter easily shattered the silence that engulfed the room, the young woman didn't so much as stir. When Joe's giggling finally died down, he reached up to wipe a small tear that had formed on the side of his right eye. He brushed the liquid from his eye with his knuckle, and began to think about one of the few things that he found no humor in at all. With the woman still unwilling to awaken from her coma-like sleep, and having already grazed the subject earlier, Joe decided that there was no point in trying to push the thoughts from his mind. Not after everything that had happened to him recently. He had been dwelling on the past more and more throughout the past week or so, lingering on terrible memories of his upbringing and the horrors that he had witnessed firsthand. With an inaudible sigh, Joe once again leaned back against the cool, damp wall, allowing his mind to drift freely, even though he had trained it to do the opposite. He never knew his father, nor did he wish to. Hell, his mother didn't even truly know his father. He was simply a drifter looking for a good time; willing to pay for the company of any young woman that would accept. Joe's mother, a French immigrant who had always grown up in poverty, had abandoned any self-respect that she had at an early age and was naturally willing to do just about anything for money. Even if it included prostituting herself to strangers.

It was a sad fate, but Joe never blamed her. He didn't even care that he was accidentally conceived in a back alley. After all, she had chosen to give birth to him, while his biological father ran off to find the next person to fulfill his desires. She had even cared for him in the short amount of time that she was alive. It might not have started off as the best upbringing, but since Joe wasn't aware of other ways of life, he didn't complain too much. He was even happy at times. Whenever his mother would return and bring money, allowing them to eat for another night. Joe didn't know how his mother acquired the money at the time, but it didn't take long for him to figure out that she was still selling her body to support him. Not even that phased him, as he had seen this kind of work before, and he even felt slightly flattered that his mother would go so far to make sure he was fed every night. However, during the time that Joe's mother was still alive, just about every day and night for him was the same.

_The slums always seemed to look the same, no matter what day it was. Everything was the same. An overcast sky always loomed, threatening to open up at a moment's notice and flood the street with it's bitter tears. The trash never seemed to disappear, but instead moved to different spots with the freezing wind, which offered some degree of change. A particularly strong gust of wind tore through every alley of the decrepit city, blowing old pages of newspaper with it, as well as the ever present paper bags, causing them to dance down the street before gently gliding back down to the earth. It was a part of the city that nobody really cared for, which allowed gangs and street thugs to overpopulate the area. With them came prostitues looking for business and homeless people with nowhere else to go. The entire area was filthy, screaming of poverty. This part of the city was where the poor gathered and the crime flourished. Another icy gust of wind blasted the inhabitants of the streets, including a small, six-year-old boy, who sought refuge in one of the city's many alleyways. The wind ruffled his messy dark hair out of his dirt splotched face and nipped through his tattered gray clothes, prompting the child to grip the coins tightly in his hand. His mother had just returned with the money and sent him to the local store to fetch some bread for the night, and while taking the path through the alley was a bit longer, it was a little safer than taking the streets. Not to mention that it would shield him from the harsh wind for a while. He continued down the path until he heard sets of footsteps behind him._

_The young boy turned around quickly and spotted three men drunkenly trudging towards him. By the look of the men, they were nothing but trouble. The man on the far right had shaggy red hair, which appeared even brighter due to his pale skin. Freckles dotted his cheeks unevenly, and when he smiled hungrily, the child could see the yellow hue of his teeth. The man on the left was slightly taller, and had long dark hair. He also grinned menacingly at the young boy. But the one in the middle was perhaps the scariest, even though he was the shortest man in the trio. His head was completely shaved bald, and he had a long scar stretching from the corner of his right eyelid all the way down his cheek._

_"Oy! What do we 'ave 'ere?" the man in the middle quipped, showing off the fact that he was missing a couple of his teeth. The other two men chuckled at their friend, who began to crack his knuckles as if to intimidate the child. The young boy's eyes darted to the other side of the alley, and he wondered if he could even outrun the trio._

_"Don't even think about it ya little runt!" the red-haired man snarled causing the child's heart race to increase._

_"Shut it 'arry! The little squirt's not going anywhere." the man in the middle proclaimed, glaring at the boy, who stood frozen in place. The man called Harry lowered his head immediately, obeying the scary man in the middle. Before the child could even think about running away for a second time, the man with the long, dark hair roughly grabbed his arm._

_"The kid's 'olding somethin'. What 'ave you got ya little brat?" the man questioned with the same accent as the man in the middle. He tugged the boy's arm up, but the child refused to release his grip on his mother's hard earned money._

_"If the little runt won't let go, we'll just 'ave to beat it outta 'im." the scary man suggested, thrusting the small child against the hard brick wall of the alley. The boy was petrified, but he didn't want to return to his shelter empty handed. Just as the scary man raised his fist with evil intentions in his eyes, another set of footsteps could be heard coming down the alley. The child, as well as the trio of thugs glanced in the direction of the footsteps, and they spotted a young woman approaching them._

_"Momma!" the boy cried, reaching his hands out for the safety of the woman. The three men laughed heartily, and the scary man released his grip from the child._

_"Please gentlemen...please let my boy keep his money." she pleaded in a heavy French accent._

_"And what if we do? What do we get in return?" the man called Harry interrogated, crossing his arms over his chest. The young woman looked down at the ground for a moment in deep thought, before raising her head to lock eyes with the scary man._

_"If you let my boy go, I'm sure we can work...something out." she replied, adding a small smile at the end of her sentence. The men exchanged glances between each other, and all seemed to agree._

_"Very well then. You entertain us for the night, and we'll let the brat go." the scary man answered, casting a gaze at the child. The other men roared with laughter, and the small boy couldn't help but feel that they were laughing at him. The woman nodded with another smile, before lowering herself to meet her son's eyes._

_"Joseph, go and get the bread honey. Then I want you to return to our shelter and start the fire up. I'll be back soon, okay?" the young French woman asked, brushing some of the child's messy hair from his eyes, which were beginning to tear up._

_"Uh huh..." he swallowed thickly, before burying his face into his mother's shoulders. He didn't stay there long however, as one of the men grasped him firmly and tore him from his mother's grip._

_"We 'aven't got all day! Shove off kid!" the dark-haired man spat, garnering a soft chuckle from Harry._

_"Your mum must love you lots, squirt. So beat it before all of 'er 'ard work goes to waste!" the scary man exclaimed, smiling widely. The boy sniffled loudly, and it appeared as if he would break down at any moment._

_"Don't worry little boy...I promise we won't be too long." he added viciously, before planting his hand on the young woman's rear and giving it a squeeze, eliciting more hyena like laughter from the other men. The child began to sob, and the woman closed her eyes in what could only be considered embarrassment. The three men began to walk away with the woman, leaving the small boy to cry on the cold concrete, alone._

_"Maman vous aime miel!" the young woman called from the end of the alleyway. The child raised his head at her words, but by the time he did, she was already gone._

_"Je t'aime aussi maman..." the boy spoke quietly, thoughts of hatred for the men flooding his head._

In a second, Joe snapped out of his thoughts, and looked down at his left forearm. Blood trickled and flowed in tiny rivers down his arm, and dripped into small pools on the floor. He hadn't even realized what he had been doing, and even if he had, he wouldn't have applied so much pressure. Joe lifted the knife from where he had accidentally been digging it into his arm, and looked at the steel with interest. A couple of drops of crimson liquid splashed down on his pants, instantly leaving two bright red stains. He sighed irritably, and winced at the deep cut on his forearm. Cutting himself wasn't a hobby that Joe practiced. While he enjoyed inflicting pain, it was only fun for him when it was done on another person. He wiped the blade on his pants until it was clean, but didn't bother paying anymore attention to the cut.

"They said they wouldn't be too long, but it _was_ too long. Mommy...never...came...back." Joe mused softly, wishing that the three men were here in the room instead of the young woman. How he would have loved to exact his revenge on them. He would have loved to make them pay for depositing his mother's corpse into a nearby dumpster as if it were everyday refuse. He would have taken great pleasure in carving them up like a Thanksgiving turkey, as they had done to the unlucky young French woman.

"Ahh, but it can't be helped, can it?" Joe pondered to no one in particular.

"No...no...the past is the past. It's just unfortunate that these memories have returned. I guess I have the Mystic Diving and Shipping Company to thank for that though." he continued, glancing down at the large laceration on his arm. The blood was beginning to clot and a new scab was forming around the cut. Joe opened his mouth to further continue his conversation with himself, but was interrupted when the young woman in the corner began to cough violently. He peered over at her, and she began to stir. With a smile, Joe stood from his resting spot on the floor, and brushed off the dust that had gathered on the surface of his jeans. The woman lifted her head from the ground uneasily, but when she saw the unfamiliar setting, she bolted upright. It didn't take long for her to spot Joe walking towards her, holding the switchblade knife in plain sight.

"Wh-...who are you?" she questioned in obvious fright, shrinking back into the corner.

"Don't worry Miss...I don't intend on using this on you at the moment. It's simply...insurance. I know that you're ex-S.T.A.R.S., so I'm not taking any chances." he replied, stopping when he was within three feet of the young woman.

"Why am I here?" the woman asked, once again looking around the room in despair.

"Unfortunately for you, there is a...game taking place. What's even worse is that you happen to know Agent Kennedy." Joe answered, picking at some dirt underneath his thumb with the tip of the knife nonchalantly.

"L-...Leon?" she breathed out, looking down at the floor hopelessly.

"Correct! I know quite a bit about you Miss Chambers. You see, I do my homework. I'm not your run-of-the-mill, everyday sloppy killer. I'm an organized, well thought out killer. It makes all of the difference in the world, really..." the dark-haired man trailed off, grinning at the look of confusion on the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member's face.

"Game? I don't understand what you mean by that." Rebecca Chambers admitted, slightly reluctant to speak to the grinning madman that stood before her.

"I know you don't. But the explanation is simple. You see, there aren't any winners to this game. Agent Kennedy is the participant in my little...competition. To put it simply, I want to see how many people I can murder, and how miserable I can make Agent Kennedy's life before I myself get caught or killed." Joe explained calmly, causing Rebecca to gasp.

"But...why? Why kill innocent people?" she implored nervously.

_How cute...does she actually hope to reason with me?_

"Because killing him would be too easy. I don't intend on killing Agent Kennedy. I _want_ him to live. I _want _him to wake up everyday and know that innocent people were killed because of him. And even if I died right now, my mission would be a success, because I've already murdered two people." the madman replied. Before Rebecca had time to recover from his words, there were two large bangs on the metal door, which prompted Joe to smile happily.

_What perfect timing._

"Scratch that. Now three people are dead because of him." he corrected, casting a glance to door. Rebecca's eyes widened in fear, and she too directed her gaze to the large entrance.

"What were those knocks just now?" she demanded, prompting Joe to meet her eyes.

"It was just one of my men informing me that the third person has died. Probably on the way to the hospital too...what a shame." he clarified with a chuckle.

"Who was it?" Rebecca asked quietly. Joe raised his eyebrows slightly, and sighed.

"I don't want to say..." he answered, a grin forming on his face.

"What? Why not?" the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member inquired. The madman simply blinked several times before answering.

"Because...you'll hate me." Joe teased, before throwing his head back in a high-pitched laugh.

"It's a little too late for that. So just tell me." Rebecca insisted, unamused with the dark-haired man's behavior.

"Well, if you _really_ want to know...it was...your boyfriend." Joe finally spoke, pretending to cringe on the last part. Rebecca's eyes widened in horror, and she held her hand to her mouth.

"You...Billy...you killed my Billy?" she sobbed out, as tears formed in her eyes. It didn't take long for liquid to build up and spill out onto Rebecca's soft cheeks as she slumped on the hard floor.

"To be fair, Mr. Coen was very tough to be able to survive the iron maiden for two days straight." Joe said with a shrug, before scratching his head thoughtfully. Rebecca's eyes were puffy, but they burned with hatred as they rested on the dark-haired man.

"Bastard..." she breathed out, wiping the bitter tears from her eyes. The madman looked around the room in mock confusion and pointed at himself with a questioning look.

"Hey, you wanted to know." Joe pointed out, widening his eyes into an "I told you so" look.

"Why do you hate Leon so much?" Rebecca asked, anger momentarily replacing her sorrow.

"Let's just say that I have my reasons. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't." he responded, watching the young brunette quiver on the floor.

"I hope Leon kills you." she suddenly growled furiously, surprising Joe with the tone of her voice. However, he quickly shook it off and offered a small chuckle.

"So do I. Wouldn't it be interesting if he proved that he was no better than me?" the madman taunted with a smirk. Rebecca didn't reply, but instead chose to bury her face into her knees and continue crying. Joe figured that she finally understood that her anger really had no affect on him, and had resorted back to sorrow.

_People do need time to mourn after all. Then again, I doubt I'll ever be able to fully understand the machinations of the human mind. Not that I really care, because the brain is the type of riddle that I really don't enjoy. I said it before, and I'll say it again...people...the reason they act, and how they feel...it's the most complicated enigma of all._

"Are...are you going to kill me too?" Rebecca suddenly asked, snapping Joe from his thoughts. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes once again as she waited for her answer. As he gazed down at her, huddling in the corner, Joe couldn't help but see himself again at the age of six, and he was sure that he probably looked exactly like she did right now. He also couldn't help the amused smile that found itself on his face.

"Yes." Joe replied without a second thought.

--

_Okay guys...I'm sure everyone hates me now because of my horrible updating. I...have a few excuses. And some of them are even pretty good ones! Like the fact that I've been pretty busy lately, what with work and stupid home repairs. This contributed...but, I cannot lie. Laziness and distractions also played a role. But, everything is looking up right now! I had a major brain overload the other night, and I am going to be doing a couple of plot revisions. Nothing too major, but I'm sure you've noticed that the summary has also changed. And if you haven't noticed, then I was totally lying and the summary has always been like that lol._

_Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter, because it was a hell of a lotta fun to write. I've been wanting to do an entire chapter focused on Joe for a while now, and also explain a bit of back story. Just a bit though! It might not make much sense right now, but I'll be sure to make it more clear later. Basically...okay, everything will make sense in time! Just bear with me, okay? And yes...Billy is dead, and Rebecca has been captured. Billy/Becca fans hate me...XD_

_Okay, so the lyrics used in place of a quote at the beginning are from Diary of a Madman by Ozzy Osbourne. Wait...Diary of a Madman...wow, that sounds awfully familiar huh? Maybe I'm just having some weird déjà vu or something..._

_Alright, to wrap up, I gotta give thanks to my awesome reviewers. Seriously, all of you guys rock so much! I can't believe how much love this has been getting! Okay...ehem...anyway, much gratitude for the all of the love, people. And I will seriously try my hardest to make my updates quicker. (Although that might be easier said than done, what with me having 2 fics in the works...) But no matter! Actually...I think I'll start writing the next chapter right now. *Gets to work*_

_"Maman vous aime miel!" means "Mommy loves you honey!" (I think)  
"Je t'aime aussi maman." means "I love you too mom." (I think)_


	6. Chapter 5 : The Shortest Straw

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**The Shortest Straw**

_"The lunatic...is in my head...  
The lunatic...is in my head...  
You raise the blade, you make the change,  
You rearrange me 'till I'm sane,  
You lock the door, and throw away the key,  
There's someone in my head, but it's not me..."_

Ada hated seeing Leon in his current state. She knew all too well just how guilty and helpless he was feeling at the moment, as he sat in front of the window in their living room. Earlier that day, it had been confirmed that Billy Coen had died on the way to the hospital. While he was a tough man, after remaining inside of an iron maiden for two days, he had simply lost too much blood to continue living. It was an unfortunate fate, and while Ada herself had never met the ex-Marine, she knew that Leon had at some point. And it didn't matter to her husband if they were best friends or just acquaintances. At the moment, he was beating himself up about Billy's death. And he was probably on the verge of losing his sanity with how many times he had read over the contents of the folded up piece of paper that had been stuffed into Billy's pocket. Ada's eyes wandered to the clock on the wall, which informed her that it was one o'clock in the morning. He didn't even know that she was awake at the moment and watching his every move.

Leon had perched himself on the windowsill, and was staring out onto the street that him and his wife lived on. He was wearing a pair of grey shorts, but he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt of any kind. His blue eyes watched the street carefully as he remained deep in thought, and while he would normally be looking out into darkness, tonight happened to have a nearly full moon. The pale moonlight washed over his form, and provided shadows on some places of his body, and a dull glow on others. Ada could only imagine the conflicted feelings that Leon was probably harboring as he stood there. The last time she seen him act in this manner was about a year ago when his mom had died. And as if that weren't enough, Ada knew that the killings would probably continue until the man named Joe slipped up. Which, he hadn't yet. Still, she had to hold out hope that he would make some type of mistake soon that would lead to his capture. Anything, and preferably soon, because Ada had decided that there was nothing worse than watching her husband obsess himself with a murderer and slowly rot from the inside in the process. Unable to bear another second, the raven-haired woman stepped out from behind the door frame and slowly made her way towards her husband. Her bare feet crept along the hardwood floors, and she soon reached her destination. Ada was sure that Leon's government trained ears had picked up on her presence, so she wasn't afraid to simply wrap her arms around Leon's torso and embrace him from behind. He didn't jump at her touch, and the Eurasian beauty was glad that she hadn't alerted him. Instead, he brought his hand up and intertwined his fingers with Ada's, which rested on his stomach.

"I can't say I expected you to be up at this hour." Leon admitted, turning his head to lock eyes with his wife. The moonlight poured past his body and gently illuminated the ex-assassin. Her eyes were soft as they gazed into his, and a small smiled graced her features.

"What can I say? After being married to you for two years handsome, I've found it rather difficult to sleep when you aren't by my side." Ada professed, laying her head on the blonde man's shoulder, which caused some of her ebony hair to spill messily in front of her face. Leon could feel the silk material of the nightgown that she was wearing as it grazed the skin on his back, and he could even feel his wife's warmth radiate through the apparel when she pressed a little closer. With a sigh, he rested his head against the window, which was cool because of the outside weather and a stark contrast to Ada's body heat.

"Leon, I know that you're going through a very challenging time right now. And I know how you are. But you can't blame yourself for things that you have no control over." Ada continued gently, her voice just above a whisper. At her words, the ex-cop raised his head from the cool surface of the window, and once again locked eyes with his wife. It was a look that Ada hated seeing on him; the conflicting emotions that his eyes portrayed were enough to break her heart.

"Three people have been killed because there is a psycho targeting me. He has a forth one probably suffering as we speak. Ada...who else can I blame?" Leon replied quietly. The tone of his voice confirmed what Ada already knew in her heart. Her husband was taking Joe's little game badly, and the fact that he was so unsure of what was going to happen next only made things worse. Leon was used to dealing with problems and getting results immediately. In Raccoon City and Spain, he could simply blast through hoards of infected creatures or chase after a clear goal to get some type of result. This situation was different, and the possible outcome was so shrouded that he was beginning to lose faith. He was losing faith in his abilities and losing hope for ever stopping Joe. But Ada knew that it was very dangerous for Leon to lose faith in himself and if he decided to give up hope completely, then Joe had already won. She frowned at this thought, because in the ten years that she had known her husband, not once had he ever abandoned hope. He kept his faith when all of the odds were against him in Raccoon, when she had "died" in his arms, when they reunited in Spain, and everything in between. And Ada would be damned if she was going to let him lose faith right now.

"You could start with blaming the maniac behind all this. Look honey, the fact of the matter is this...Joe is putting you in a situation where it is impossible to win. Everything that he's done so far; the riddles, the letters, the audio tape...everything is just too vague for anybody to figure out." Ada started, gently tugging on the blonde man's shoulder, which prompted him to turn around in their embrace. Leon wrapped his arms around the small of Ada's back and pulled her closer, and she rested her hands on both of his shoulders. Leon leaned his head down and they joined foreheads, their noses barely touching. From this angle, the ex-cop could see the pleading look in his wife's beautiful jade eyes. It was a look that he didn't particularly like to see, as he hated her to worry, especially about him, but at the same time he always felt very appreciative of her concern.

"This...Joe...he's trying to make you forfeit. From what I can tell, the only thing he wants to do is break your spirit, and he doesn't care who he kills. I seriously doubt that this little game of his was designed with any possibility of you besting him at all." Ada pushed on, hoping that her husband would understand what she was trying to say.

"So you're saying that these riddles are pretty much a waste of my time?" Leon questioned, gingerly stroking the Eurasian beauty's back through the crimson silk material of her nightgown.

"That isn't really what I meant. What I'm trying to say is, you can't win if you play by his rules. And you can't expect to outsmart him if you just rely on the clues that he gives." she clarified, breaking his gaze to nuzzle her face into the blonde man's neck. Ada felt Leon nod in understanding, and she hoped that he was also agreeing with her. In her eyes, Leon could do anything that he put his mind to, and often did, even in the face of adversity. However, that didn't necessarily mean that he could or should have to overcome everything on his own. Leon may have been a bit of a loner before they started their relationship together, but Ada was unconditionally prepared to help him in every way that she could.

"Yeah, you're right. It goes beyond the stupid riddles and hints. I guess I'm going to have to think outside the box on this one and really use my head." Leon admitted tepidly, adding a soft sigh at the end of his sentence.

"Don't worry handsome. I have nothing but absolute faith in you. I'm sure we can figure something out together." Ada assured without a hint of uncertainty in her tone. Leon smiled in appreciation and slightly tightened his grip around his wife's slender waist.

"Which brings me to another matter. What you're doing right now; obsessing over this lunatic at one in the morning when you should be in bed with your wife...it's not very healthy." the raven-haired woman proclaimed with her signature smirk. Not a smirk out of arrogance, but one of triumph.

"I realize that too...but, I couldn't sleep and the riddles were driving me nuts." Leon affirmed, slightly lowering his head to inhale the sweet scent of Ada's hair.

"It's okay. But at some point, you're going to have to try and leave things like that at work. You do deserve to relax when you get home you know." she pointed out, raising her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, which in turn caused Leon to yawn.

"I guess it's a little hard to leave this case at work when it hits so close to home...you know?" the agent confessed, staring at the floor thoughtfully, until Ada lifted her head from his shoulder, capturing his gaze in the process.

"I know exactly what you mean. But if you engross yourself in your work, it'll drive you crazy. You're going to have to find a balance. Determination is a good trait to possess, but obsession is detrimental to your health. There's a fine line between the two." Ada informed, releasing her grasp around Leon's back to wrap her arms around his neck. The ex-cop couldn't help but smile in the way that his wife could only describe as roguishly attractive.

"Leon...I love you so much, and I...I just hate seeing you like this." she continued with the same look of concern in her eyes as before.

"I love you too honey. That's why I will try and separate my work from my personal life. For both of our sake." Leon promised, delicately rubbing circles on his wife's hips with both of his thumbs. Ada felt a large figurative weight being lifted from her shoulders, and she couldn't help but beam up at her husband in response. Leon had to admit that nothing, not even the T-Virus was as contagious as Ada's gorgeous smile, so he didn't try to fight the grin that crept onto his lips. The ex-assassin tossed her ebony hair out of her face with a simple flick of her head, and reached up to intertwine her fingers in Leon's ash blonde locks with her right hand. She gently guided him down to meet her lips in a small, but soft and passionate kiss. It was Leon who gradually pulled back, a little reluctant to part ways with Ada's lower lip, which curved into a satisfied smirk once he did.

"Does that mean you're ready to come back to bed?" Ada quipped, gripping her husband's hand expectantly.

"Of course dear." the blonde man replied, giving her hand a light squeeze. Although the only light being permitted into the living room was still the moon's pale glow perforating through the window, Leon could still see Ada mouth the words "thank you" to him. With a small smile, he nodded in acknowledgement and led his wife up the stairs in the direction of their room. They entered the dark, forgotten bedroom together, not even bothering to shut their door, and laid on the soft mattress in unison. Leon pulled the violet comforter from the foot of the bed and spread it over his body, as well as his wife's. While Leon continued to fiddle with the blanket, Ada wasted no time in snuggling over to his side of the bed, and sneakily draping her arm over his torso. The ex-cop quickly made room for her by lifting his left arm from the surface of the mattress and replacing it around Ada's body so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, which happened to be her favorite pillow. Ada readjusted her position by nuzzling deeper into Leon's neck, and after breathing a low sigh, it seemed that she was comfortable enough to finally rest for the night. It didn't take very long for her breathing to slightly shallow, leaving the agent alone with his thoughts. Leon was glad that Ada had managed to drift off into sleep so easily, and he himself would have probably done the same if his brain wasn't buzzing with activity.

Leon assumed that Ada thought he was downstairs searching for answers to the two new riddles that had been found in Billy Coen's pocket. It was the same set-up as the original paper that Leon had received only three days before, in that the first riddle was part of Joe's "master plan", and the second was yet another hint of how death would greet the unfortunate forth victim. However, Ada had been incorrect in her assumption. Leon had figured out the second riddle a full hour before she came downstairs. The thing that kept him up was the actual answer to the question.

_Everything seems to point towards the person being flayed. But...Jesus Christ...that is such a horrible way to die. I just hope I have some extra time to figure out where the person is being held. Nobody deserves to die like that. Ada is right though...it isn't doing any good staying up all night and thinking about it. I'll just have to do some extra searching tomorrow._

Leon turned his head to gaze at his wife's sleeping form. He truly didn't know what he would ever do without her. He wasn't even sure how he had managed to live as long as he had before marrying her. He continued to watch her in pure adoration, before suddenly brushing her raven-colored bangs away from her brow.

"Goodnight honey." Leon whispered, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

--

Rebecca sat in the corner of the empty room, quietly sobbing as she had been for hours. Joe was beginning to get bored with her crying. He guessed that Billy Coen must have been very special to her. Sure, they were officially considered to be in a relationship, but with the young woman's reaction, it appeared as if she had actually loved the ex-Marine. Not that it made any difference to the dark-haired man sitting in front of the door. Sure, he didn't exactly have to guard the entrance, what with the number of men watching the room from the outside, but it still gave him a little satisfaction that he appeared as an obstacle in Rebecca's way. He even hoped that he was a symbol of despair in her eyes. But mostly, Joe took pride in tormenting the young girl by letting her know that he was watching and savoring each and every second of her sorrow. It almost made him giddy to think about how she must be feeling at that very moment. To wake up in a strange place only to find out that you've been kidnapped by a strange man who has killed a loved one and plans on doing the same to you.

_Terrified. She's shaking to her very core. Heh...she's probably already given up hope by now._

"Did you love him?" Joe asked suddenly, breaking the silence. The young brunette raised her head from where she'd been burying her face in her knees, and glared at the madman through puffy red eyes. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled her knees closer to her body, apparently trying to make herself as tiny as possible.

"What...what do you th-think?" Rebecca choked out, rubbing her hot tears away with the palm of her hand.

"I think you're a little too young to understand love. That's what I think." the dark-haired man replied casually, sprawling his legs across the concrete floor. Since Rebecca had tried to shrink away as if she hadn't belonged, Joe had decided to get as comfortable as possible, as if there were no other place that he would rather be. After all, it only made his job easier. If she didn't want to exist in the room, then he was going to harmonize with it to his fullest potential. Joe doubted that his actions could have been any clearer if he would have said "welcome to my world".

"Oh yeah? And just what would _you_ know about love?" the young woman shot back, fury lacing every syllable that she spoke. The madman allowed his gaze to drift to the floor in an uninterested fashion before replying.

"While it's true that I've never been in what one would call a "healthy relationship", I know all too well about unconditional love." Joe answered, slowly redirecting his eyes in the brunette's direction. She seemed to slightly fidget while under his scrutiny, and an arrogant smirk formed on his face.

"You see...I grew up in poverty. It was either famine, or...well, famine. My mother did things that most women would consider distasteful. And she did it all to ensure that I could survive." the madman began, taking time to stop and crack his knuckles. Rebecca wiped the excess tears from her eyes, and listened intently to his story. She was hoping that his background could provide some potential clues to what had went wrong throughout the course of his life.

"Growing up in a decaying urban environment, I had no idea that there were even other ways of living. After all, everyone who lived in that city was exactly like me. I had no way to gauge the common populace, so my young mind just assumed that everyone lived like I did. So, I suppose you could say that I grew up...happy, to a certain extent." Joe continued, remembering his childhood in an almost dream-like trance. This didn't go unnoticed by Rebecca, who quickly devised a little plan to gather information. She had to be sneaky in order for the idea to work, and she hoped that Joe wouldn't catch on.

"What was this city called?" she inquired innocently, dropping her gaze to the floor as nonchalantly as possible.

"Drogheda." he answered without batting an eye. Rebecca's heart skipped in her chest with the new information that she had acquired. He answered in a normal fashion, not too quick, but not too slow, and he pronounced the city's name with confidence. She was sure that he was telling the truth. But now Rebecca had to think of someone to trust the information with so that it would provide a little help in catching the madman. Her mind drifted to the man that Joe was currently targeting, Leon Kennedy. However, she now needed a plan on how to _give _the information to Leon. Because unless he happened to be on the other side of the wall Rebecca was leaning against and could also understand Morse code, nothing else came to mind.

"Yes, I was happy. Until the day my mother was murdered..." Joe trailed off, narrowing his eyes momentarily. In a flash, the humor had returned in them and he looked at Rebecca in amusement.

"Ahh, but what are you gonna do, right? They say that things happen for a reason!" he finished the sentence with a high-pitched cackle, and Rebecca couldn't help but wince at his actions. One minute he was sulking over his mother's death, and the next laughing about it. He was very puzzling to her to say the least.

"So is that why you're doing all of this?" the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member pondered out loud. Rebecca desired to accomplish a couple of feats by talking with the madman. The most important was gathering any and all information that she could. It was a vital part of her training when she was working to become a S.T.A.R.S. member, and she hoped that it would pay off right now. Perhaps the most terrifying knowledge was the fact that Rebecca also found Joe's past fascinating. Although he spoke English flawlessly, the young woman couldn't help but think that he was from a foreign land. The name of the city that he supplied wasn't a familiar one, and Rebecca was sure that there weren't any cities in America like the one that he described from his childhood. Because the dark-haired man appeared to be in his mid-thirties, if there were any cities in America that were as deep in poverty as he had specified, it wouldn't have been as recent as thirty years ago. Not any that Rebecca could remember at any rate.

"Of course that isn't why I'm doing this!" Joe exclaimed with a look a feigned bewilderment. If the young woman wasn't so afraid of how he might react, she would have rolled her eyes in irritation. The madman's antics were beginning to severely wear her nerves thin.

"Well...it isn't the only reason, I should say. I suppose it plays a small role, but it basically only contributes to a much larger scale." he clarified with a grin.

"Do you mean that your childhood is just a fragment of the reason? And is the reason your life in general?" Rebecca questioned. Joe widened his eyes, and with another grin, nodded as if he were impressed.

"You're a clever one, aren't you? Still, I'm afraid that's only half correct." the madman informed, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"What about Leon? How does he fit into your life? What's he ever done to you to make you want to kill his friends and other innocent people?" the young brunette interrogated. To Rebecca, Joe was a very interesting case. She minored in psychology at her old collage, but she had never met anyone as far gone as him. Even Wesker always seemed to have a steady plan and reason for his actions. If Joe had any goals of his own, they were certainly shrouded in mystery.

"Il n'a rien fait." Joe replied calmly, smirking at the expression on Rebecca's face. She figured that Joe had assumed that she didn't speak French.

"If he hasn't done anything, then why do you want him to suffer so much?" the young woman retorted. Joe's eyes widened again in what Rebecca presumed to be surprise, and he soon wore another look of approval.

"You really _are_ a clever one! I had no idea that you spoke French, Miss Chambers." the dark-haired man admitted, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"En fait, je parle le français assez couramment. But that's besides the point. Are you going to answer my question, or...?" Rebecca trailed off, very pleased with herself for pulling a fast one on the madman. She backed up her claim with her first sentence, and Joe couldn't help but feel impressed.

"I wouldn't concern myself with that right now. I have a new idea. You're clearly a smart girl, so I was wondering if you'd like to test your knowledge a little bit. I only have one question." Joe offered, lazily lounging against the wall.

"What happens if I get the question right? Rebecca asked suspiciously.

"If you can get the question right, I will call the police in the morning and tell them where my hideout is. Then I will abandon it and allow them to search the building freely." he informed as serious as the young woman had seen him all night.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? What's to stop you from going back on your word?" she implored, trying to keep herself composed. This was the first glimmer of hope that she had seen all night, but she knew that trusting the words of a madman could not only prove to be dangerous, but also a huge waste of time.

"Miss Chambers, I might murder in cold blood. I might not even be...all there in the head. And I might be sadistic. But, I am not one who lies often. And even then, if someone catches me in a lie, I would admit that I was lying. So I can inform you right now that I am telling you the absolute truth. If you answer correctly, I promise that I will fulfill my obligations." Joe assured with a small smile. It was a smile that Rebecca hated, and while she still wasn't fully convinced, she had no other alternative but to pray that he actually was speaking the truth.

"Okay. I'm ready." the brunette woman replied, softly sighing. The dark-haired man nodded, his eyes never leaving Rebecca's.

"Listen carefully then. I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg. I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole, I can be long like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole. What am I?" he quizzed, inwardly smiling at the perplexed look on the young woman's face. She held either side of her temples with her thumb and index finger, and closed her eyes in concentration. Joe could see her mouth keywords every now and then, such as "egg", "layers", and "backbone". After a few moments, Rebecca raised her head in uncertainty, prompting the madman to grin widely.

"It's a snake." she answered, finally locking eyes with Joe. However, his smile never faltered for a second, causing Rebecca discomfort. He propped his elbows on his knees, lowering his gaze to the cold floor, and scratched the back of his head.

"That's right Miss Chambers. You know, if I hadn't already chosen Agent Kennedy for my game, I might have picked you. You're quite intelligent for your age." the dark-haired man admitted, fixating his eyes on Rebecca at the end of his sentence. The young woman almost jumped with happiness and relief at his words, but managed to keep her composure.

"Well, a deal's a deal. I will call the police in the morning, just as I promised." Joe informed, standing up from the floor and stretching his arms high over his head.

"It's almost a shame though. I was beginning to enjoy your company, but I suppose all good things have to end, right?" he continued, rolling his neck and eliciting a couple of low pops. Rebecca didn't want to reply for fear of upsetting the unstable man and possibly making him change his mind, so she remained quiet. Plus, she doubted he would appreciate her telling him how much she hated him and how glad she would be to get out of the Hell hole that she was being held prisoner in. She focused her attention on the floor, hoping that Joe was preparing to leave the room. Instead she heard a familiar loud clicking sound. Rebecca raised her head and gasped as the madman slowly approached her with the eight and a half inch switchblade knife drawn.

"What are you doing?! You promised!" Rebecca squealed in both protest and fear. Joe smiled nefariously, but continued to advance on the brunette woman's location.

"I won't go back on my word. I said that I would call the police in the morning, give them the location of my hideout, and then abandon the building to let them search. I never said that they were going to find you alive instead of dead." he affirmed, constantly getting closer. Rebecca shrank her body in the corner of the dingy room, and shielded her head with her arms. Her eyes began to tear up in terror and anguish, and she knew that she was done for. There was no way that her arms would offer any protection at all from the assault that was to come. Rebecca felt almost every single shred of hope leave her body and prepared for the inevitable. The shred that she had left hoped that Joe would do the deed quickly.

_I'm coming Billy...we'll be together again soon..._

--

_If you're reading this...it was not a mistake, and it is not the beginning of the apocalypse...I did in fact mean to update today lol. I can't even believe I did either, so I'm right there with you. It's funny...I actually like this chapter, and I'm not usually too fond of my own work. But, it had sweet Leon/Ada moments, and I had to fill in Rebecca's situation as well. This puppy had it all! XD_

_Except, I'm sure both the Rebecca and Billy/Becky fans hate me even more than the last chapter lol. I'm sorry! I constantly make myself sad with this story...Rebecca is my third favorite female character in RE...first and second go to Ada and Jill respectively. And Sherry would be after 'Becca. But, I digress. Anyway, I hope to make it up to all the Rebecca fans in the next chapter...somehow..._

_Once again, I toss out happy hugs and love to everybody reading and reviewing. You guys are still very awesome as always! So, hopefully I didn't disappoint with this one! (I still can't believe that I updated this story twice in the same week...XD). Ah! I knew I was forgetting something! The lyrics in the beginning are by Pink Floyd in one of my favorite Floyd songs ever, Brain Damage. Hmm...lol...Brain Damage seems to describe Joe quite a bit, yeah?_

_"Il n'a rien fait." means "He did nothing."  
"En fait, je parle le français assez couramment." means "In fact, I speak French quite fluently."_

_As always, these translations are probably all wrong. Curse my lack of knowledge for the French language!! But more importantly, I curse Google translator if they make me look like an idiot!! Well...more so than I usually am anyway...At any rate, muchos gracias to all who are reading this (the story, not the random babbling that I always do lol). Hope you guys stick around, because I still have a few more surprises up my sleeve!_


	7. Chapter 6 : Diary of a Madman

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Diary of a Madman**

_"Voices in the darkness,  
__Scream away...my mental health,  
__Can I...ask a question,  
__To help me save me...from myself?  
__Enemies fill up the pages, are they me?  
__Monday 'till Sunday in stages,  
__Set me free!"_

_"You know, it's about damn time you called me Kennedy. It's been...what? Five months since we last saw each other?" Claire Redfield grinned from across the table of the small coffee shop. The blonde man bowed his head in mock shame, before scratching the back of his head thoughtfully._

_"Yeah, well...I've been pretty busy as you could imagine." Leon replied, glancing up when the waitress made her way to the table. The young woman set down two white mugs filled with coffee, and left as quickly as she had arrived. The steam that rose from the cups was warm and inviting, prompting Leon to grab the nearest mug. Claire mimicked his actions with the remaining cup, and quickly added two teaspoons of sugar._

_"So, what's with the sudden call? You have some important news to tell me or something?" Claire asked, taking a small sip of the hot beverage._

_"I guess you could say that." the agent answered, fiddling with the handle of the mug. The red-head could tell by her friend's actions that there was something very important on his mind._

_"Is that why you asked me to meet you here?" she inquired, taking another sip from her cream-colored mug._

_"Hey, I just wanted to keep our meetings at a consistent degree of normalcy" Leon remarked, eliciting a small laugh from Claire. She nodded in amusement, and silently urged him to continue._

_"Well anyway, I wanted to let you know in person that...I asked Ada to marry me." he progressed, gauging his friend's reaction. Leon was well aware that Claire used to hate Ada back when their relationship had first started. Since then, the ex-spy had managed to gain Claire's trust, but with something as immense as marriage, Leon was slightly anxious to see if any of the red-head's old feelings would return. Instead, her eyes grew wide with surprise, and a large smiled formed on her face._

_"And? What did she say?!" Claire implored, her voice just a few decibels below a shout._

_"Let's just say...we'll be married in about a month." Leon responded with his signature grin. The young woman squealed, and shot out of her chair so fast that it toppled over. The ex-cop sat in amazement when she rushed over to give him a quick hug, releasing him shortly after._

_"That's so great! I'm so happy for you two!" Claire exclaimed, beaming in delight. _

_"You know...I honestly expected your reaction to be a little different." the blonde man admitted, taking his first taste of the caffeine enriched drink._

_"That's all in the past Leon. True, at first I didn't like or trust Ada, but that was before...I saw it..." she trailed off, gazing at her own mug of coffee, which was beginning to lose it's steam. Leon remained silent, prompting the red-head to look up and see the puzzled expression that he wore._

_"It was before I saw the way that she looked at you. It was the same way that you looked at her. The looks that were filled with pure adoration." the young woman clarified. Leon nodded, before swallowing another large mouthful of his drink._

_"I guess...I can just tell that you two are going to make it. Because she makes you happy...I've never seen you as happy as you are when you and her are together. And I've never seen you more miserable than I did after escaping...Raccoon City." Claire confessed, a little reluctant to speak the name of the city that had haunted her dreams for years. The agent simply smiled in response, finishing off the remainder of his coffee._

_"Yeah, I am happy. And so is Ada. And that's really all that matters to me." Leon professed, resting his elbows on the table._

_"So anyway...when's the big day?" the red-head pondered, trying to change the subject._

_"April the twelfth. The ceremony is going to be held at the church downtown." the ex-cop replied, fishing into his left pocket. He pulled out the small envelope which read "Claire Redfield" on the front, and reached across the table to offer the invitation. With a warm smile, the young woman accepted the envelope, and looked at it keenly._

_"So tell me Agent Kennedy...are you excited about spending the rest of your life with the future Mrs. Agent Kennedy?" Claire asked slyly, her grin never leaving her face. The blonde man didn't have to think long before replying._

_"Absolutely." he answered, returning the eager smile._

The picture in Leon's head suddenly transformed into a fuzzy gray color and silently faded to black. His eyelids were very heavy, but he forced them open anyway, greeting the feeble light that poured in through the bedroom windows. The birds outside had already began to chirp, happily flying through the light purple sky, which further reminded the agent that it was very early in the morning. His eyes had finally adjusted to the room's light, but that didn't stop the dull ache that weakly throbbed in his temples, telling him that he had either slept for too long, or hadn't slept long enough. Given his schedule and recent set of problems, the small pangs that coursed through his veins every now and then were most likely due to the latter. Heaving a sigh, Leon turned his head to the right, towards his nightstand and read the green numbers on the alarm clock, which informed him that it was six twenty-eight.

_I guess I have all of two minutes to kill before I actually have to get up._

Casting a cautious glance in Ada's direction, who was still fast asleep with her arm tucked firmly around his waist, Leon stretched his right arm towards the nightstand, careful not to make any sudden jerking movements. When he reached his destination, the blondeman plucked the loose leaf paper from the top, and brought it within reading distance.

_Pronounced as one letter, but look and you'll see, that really I'm written with three, I'm read from both ends, the same either way, what am I?_

Leon scanned the paper over several times, before placing it back on it's resting place. He was pretty good at memorizing things when he needed to, and lately the ex-cop had made it a habit to burn Joe's riddles into his head, so that whenever he had extra free time, he could try and find the answers at his leisure. So far, there were only two riddles that still needed to be solved, and both happened to be part of Joe's main plan. Leon also hoped that the answers would possibly provide some insight as to why the madman had chosen him to participate in his little game. After all, the first time that the agent had ever met Joe was only three days ago, even if it felt like an eternity. And in that short amount of time, he had managed to kill two of Leon's friends, and a survivor of the first outbreak in the Arklay Mountains. Needless to say, Leon was a little more than confused as to why Joe wished to torture him so much.

_Anyway...the riddle. Pronounced as one letter...but written with three. Okay...A, B, C, D, E..._

A shrill ringing erupted through the quiet room, interrupting Leon from his thoughts. Instinctively, his hand quickly darted over to the alarm clock's buttons, and hit the one labled "off". The ringing of the alarm instantly ceased, seemingly leaving the room even quieter than it was before. That was until a low, inaudible groan resounded to the blonde man's left. He turned his head towards his raven-haired wife, who had began to stir. She lightly tightened her grip around Leon's waist, and lifted her head from his shoulder to nuzzle deeper into his neck. With a modest smile, Leon rested his head on Ada's, and affectionately caressed her hip with his thumb. With a faint moan, the Eurasian beauty showed her approval by planting a small kiss on the agent's neck.

"Good morning beautiful." Leon spoke softly, brushing back a portion of Ada's hair from her face. The ex-assassin's eyelids slowly fluttered open and she looked up, gazing deeply into her husband's cerulean eyes. Her lips curved into a charming half-grin, which was all she could really manage first thing in the morning, and she reached up to flick the remaining section of ebony hair back.

"What did we just talk about last night?" Ada asked, glaring at Leon accusingly. The agent's eyes lightly opened in surprise, and he quickly shot a glance at the paper resting on his nightstand. When his eyes returned to his wife, she was smirking triumphantly with an eyebrow raised, as if she was already dismissing his innocence. Even though he knew it would do no good, the blonde man still faked a dumbfounded look, prompting Ada to roll her eyes.

"I heard the paper rustling. If you're going to try and pull a fast one, I wouldn't make it so obvious next time, handsome." she continued, gazing at her husband slyly.

"Point taken. But to be fair, we technically talked about it earlier this morning. Not last night." Leon corrected with a mischievous grin.

"I'm glad you can remember the time. I wish you could have remembered about trying not to obsess over these riddles and murders though." Ada admitted thoughtfully.

"I wasn't obsessing! I was just looking over the paper so I could..." the ex-cop trailed off, stopping his sentence abruptly, which captured the raven-haired woman's attention.

"So you could...?" she started, trying to coax him into continuing. With a small sigh, Leon returned his gaze to the emerald eyes of the woman that he loved, and scratched his head innocently.

"So I could...kinda...memorize the riddle. And I know how that sounds, but I wasn't obsessing!" he defended, smiling at the unconvinced, but amused look on his wife's face.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Ada asked after a faint sigh. Leon shrugged, moving his body closer under the dark purple blanket.

"Well I was sorta hoping that you'd maybe...give me my good morning kiss." he continued, inching his face until it was a few centimeters away from Ada's. She smirked in response, rolling her eyes simultaneously, and slightly closed the distance between their lips. They were so close that Leon could feel the heat of Ada's breath grace his lower lip with each exhale, and he could not have been more tempted to pull her towards him and close the gap once and for all.

"Mmm...you want it? Come and get it." the Eurasian beauty teased playfully, pushing off of the blonde man's chest to roll to the other side of the bed. She easily hopped off and landed on the hardwood floor with an elegance that only she possessed, and sauntered towards the bathroom door. As if beckoning Leon to follow, Ada glanced over her shoulder and offered a flirtatious wink, before closing the door behind her. The agent lifted himself into a sitting position on the bed, and could only remain on the bed wondering what his wife had in mind. His question was soon answered when he heard the sound of the shower begin to run, which brought a humored smile to his face. Leon wasted no time in getting out of bed and making his way towards the bathroom. The sounds of water being pumped through pipes and hitting the shower floor grew more and more audible as he neared ever closer. The ex-cop twisted the handle and gently pulled on the door, and was met with a cloud of steam that billowed out of the bathroom as if trying to escape it's own heat and humidity. Leon peered through the thick fog at the floor and saw Ada's discarded crimson nightgown resting comfortably on the tile. With another small grin, he led his eyes to the shower curtain, where he saw the shadowy figure of the raven-haired woman smoothing her wet hair from her face as the water continued to pummel against her skin. With a faint sigh, Leon entered the bathroom, softly closing the door behind him.

--

"I don't know what to believe anymore..." Rebecca whimpered from her position on the floor. Joe chuckled brightly, peering over at the young woman, who remained huddled in the corner. He had to give the ex-S.T.A.R.S. credit where credit was due; the madman had half expected her to faint when he had threatened her with the knife earlier. The look on her face had been absolutely priceless, and even though the event had taken place a little over six hours ago, Joe couldn't help but think back to that moment. It was clear to the dark-haired man that Rebecca had assumed she was about to die at that time, and why wouldn't she? After all, if a psycho had confronted him with a knife and informed him that he was about to die, Joe would have presumed the very same thing.

"You probably shouldn't believe anything a "crazy" guy says." Joe replied, smirking in triumph. The young woman, whose tears had stopped by now, simply glared at the older man with a fury that could only come from a woman who had been spited.

"You're not crazy. You're just a liar. A sick, twisted liar." Rebecca spat viciously, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

"For the last time Miss Chambers, I didn't lie. As a matter of fact, I'm sure that Agent Kennedy is on his way to my hideout as we speak." the madman defended, smiling pleasantly at the brunette. As he expected, this action only infuriated her more, and he could only guess as to what was running through her mind at that very moment. Joe figured that her thoughts were probably anything but urbane.

"Shouldn't you be leaving then?" the young woman questioned impatiently. The dark-haired man smiled again, having grown fond of Rebecca's new insolent and audacious attitude. It would be that much more fun to break her down again.

"Why? I've already abandoned my hideout. Surely you didn't think that _this_ was it." Joe remarked, slowly waving his arms around to signify the room. Rebecca's eyes traveled over the small, dingy room, before settling back on the grinning madman.

"You haven't left this room since I solved that riddle. You mean to tell me that you just left your real hideout the way that it was?" the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member asked curiously. Joe nodded in acknowledgement, causing Rebecca's eyes to slightly widen and her features soften in optimism.

_This is even better than I could have imagined! She actually thinks that she made a difference...she has no idea that I was planning to abandon that place before I even brought her here. Or of what's waiting in the hideout for whoever is unlucky enough to stumble inside..._

"Well, you did lie when you said you were going kill me..." Rebecca added, snapping Joe out of his thoughts.

"Are you actually complaining about that?" the dark-haired man implored with a humored grin. The young woman hastily shook her head, drawing out a laugh from the madman.

"Unfortunately, that wasn't a lie either. I'm still going to kill you...just not at the moment." Joe continued nonchalantly. The brunette dropped her gaze to the floor in her ever growing despair. She remained quiet for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

"Are you still holding on to that silly notion that your "friends" will come to the rescue?" the madman inquired, using air quotes for added emphasis. Rebecca glared up at Joe angrily, before shifting her position against the wall.

"You might not have any faith in people, but there are some of us that still do." she retorted, garnering another scornful giggle from the dark-haired man.

"And just why should I? People are revolting...just a bunch of liars and hypocrites." Joe answered, the humor never leaving his eyes. The young woman continued to stare at him, both in confusion and silent interest. Unbeknownst to her, the madman assumed that her silence was her way of telling him to progress.

"L'amour, l'amitié, les personnes qui prennent soin...toutes les illusions et les masques utilisés pour dissimuler la véritable nature de l'humanité. (_Love, friendship, people who care...all illusions and masks used to conceal the true nature of humanity._)" the dark-haired man continued, switching to French so Rebecca would truly listen.

"No, you're wrong...there are good people in this world. I don't care what you say...Leon is a good person...and I am too. And Billy...he was a good man." the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member argued. Rebecca's face was dead serious, and it was evident that nothing would be able to change her opinion on the matter.

_Poor, stupid little girl..._

"Vous appelez-vous une bonne personne? Eh bien, j'ai des nouvelles pour vous...il n'y a pas de bonnes personnes. Vous pouvez arrêter la recherche de "bonnes personnes", parce que vous ne les trouverez pas n'importe où. (_You call yourself a good person? Well, I have news for you...there are no good people. You can stop looking for "good people", because you will not find them anywhere._)" Joe countered, folding his arms behind his head as if he had already been successful in what he wanted to accomplish.

"Is this a part of the whole, "true nature of humanity" thing?" Rebecca asked, immediately regretting doing so. She knew that Joe didn't need encouragement, much less her to egg on his little rants, but she couldn't help herself in trying to argue some logic in the madman's brain. Not to mention the fact that she was more frustrated now than she could ever recall being in her entire life.

"Of course. And with all of the propaganda floating around telling us otherwise, I can see why you'd believe that mankind is...good." the dark-haired man replied smugly.

"What kind of propaganda? What are you talking about?" the young woman questioned, clearly agitated with the madman's enigmatic words.

"I'm talking about laws, religion, common rules...that sort of thing. Our governments, or higher powers...whoever it is that really controls our countries...they view us as lumps of clay when we're born, only to be shaped as they see fit." Joe explained carefully. Rebecca raised an eyebrow, finally convinced that there was something clearly wrong with Joe. She still didn't think he was totally crazy, but something about him wasn't quite...right.

"Let's see...without all of the rules and laws, what would we be Miss Chambers?" the dark-haired man probed, anxious to see what the brunette's answer would be.

"We would probably all be running around like savages or something." Rebecca answered honestly, only realizing what she had said after she said it. The madman smirked and nodded in agreement.

"That's exactly right. And guess what? We still are...it's just hidden beneath all of the lies." Joe affirmed triumphantly.

"So what exactly is the point that you were trying to make?" the ex-S.T.A.R.S. members inquired irritably. The dark-haired man stood from his spot on the floor, stretching his limbs in the process. He covered his mouth to stifle a yawn, and looked down at the young woman, who stared back unfazed.

"The point is...everybody who you thought was good, is actually just a lie. Agent Kennedy, Mr. Coen...even you. If we weren't all good little sheep following our shepherd, do you believe that the people you know and care about would have turned out exactly as you know them now?" Joe asked, analyzing every little facial change that the brunette made. She looked very conflicted, and her eyes fell to the concrete floor. The madman scoffed, but then again, he wasn't expecting Rebecca to come up with a counter argument anyway. He turned his attention towards the door and grabbed the knob, until the young woman's head suddenly snapped up.

"That doesn't even matter. All that does is prove that laws are set in place for a damn good reason." Rebecca replied through gritted teeth, glowering at the dark-haired man.

"Maybe they are, and maybe they aren't. The point is..." Joe trailed off, holding the furious woman's gaze. He turned the knob of the door, but hesitated on pushing it open.

"Tout le monde est un tueur. Nous avons tous assassinés sans raison. (_Everyone is a killer. We have all murdered for no reason._)" he continued, wearing the most serious expression that the ex-S.T.A.R.S. had ever seen him display.

"Nous sommes des assassins. Nous allons être la cause de la mort de notre propre planète. (_We are all murderers. We will be the cause of death of our own planet._)" the madman added, finally pushing the door open. The new and extrinsic light from outside of the room poured in, and Rebecca was forced to shield her eyes from the foreign brilliance. Contrary to the young woman, Joe appeared to be unfettered by the alien radiance.

"Alors, pourquoi devrais-je cacher ce que je suis? (_So, why should I hide what I am?_)" the dark-haired man finished, taking a step out of the room. A cold sensation began to creep up the brunette woman's spine at the thought of being left alone. While she didn't particularly like talking with Joe, she had the feeling that he was the only thing in the small room that was keeping her sanity in check. It had only been a few hours, but thinking about being abandoned in solitary confinement for even a few minutes chilled the former S.T.A.R.S. member to the bone.

"You won't beat Leon...he's gonna find you, and then he's going to kill you." Rebecca said quietly, hoping that the insult would make the madman reconsider leaving her alone. Joe simply chuckled, and turned his head to lock eyes with the young woman.

"Mais, je suis déjà mort. (_But, I'm already dead._)" he responded, tearing his gaze from the brunette. Joe held the side of the metal door with his left hand, steadying the structure as he stared at the outside world. Rebecca felt a wave of fear wash over her entire body as the dark-haired man held his position, barely blinking.

"As are you." Joe finally finished, stepping from the room and slamming the door firmly shut.

--

The couple reemerged from the bathroom, allowing the steam to once again escape into the cool air of their bedroom. They donned matching white, cotton towels; Leon's wrapped around his waist, while Ada's was secured snugly around her torso, stopping in the middle of her thighs.

"Alright, I think you're set on "good morning kisses" for the rest of the month." Ada remarked playfully, walking over to the large, oval mirror that hung above her bureau. She grabbed a smaller towel from the top of the dresser, and began to dry her damp ebony hair. Upon looking up, the Eurasian beauty caught sight of her husband in the mirror, and couldn't stifle her laugh at the look on his face.

"Need I remind you that the whole shower proposition was _your _idea?" Leon replied suavely, making his way to his closet. He heard the ex-spy giggle again as he opened the door to choose a single black suit out of the countless other carbon copies.

"Hey, you twisted my wrist first dear." Ada countered, continuing to swipe the towel through her opaque locks. The blonde man made his way to the bed with the suit that the government insisted that he wear everyday when not on a field mission, and tossed the garment on top of the violet comforter.

"Hun, if I would have "twisted your wrist", you probably would have done one of your fancy, over-the-top cartwheels to escape." Leon teased, grabbing a pair of boxers and deodorant from the dresser that was juxtaposed next to his wife's. With a small grin, Ada nodded her head sardonically, as if already plotting out a proper penance for her husband. The agent couldn't help but smile as well, while he walked back towards the bed, relishing in the rare occasion that the raven-haired woman was unable or unwilling to come back with a witty response. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the ex-assassin who was still very busy trying to dry her hair, Leon snatched the towel from his waist. Before the white cotton even had the chance to grace the hardwood floor, Ada gave a low, but sharp wolf-whistle, as if she were a member of a construction crew eyeing a classy woman walking past their job site. Leon's cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment, as he hastily yanked his boxers into place, shooting his wife an exasperated look, who couldn't help but laugh at the look of chagrin plastered on his face.

"For God's sake Leon, we're married! It's not like I've never seen your...tush before." Ada commented after her laughter had subsided. The blonde man continued to stare at the Eurasian beauty in mock annoyance while she struggled to keep her composure. She was actually doing a pretty good job, aside from the smirk that she couldn't wipe off of her face no matter how hard she tried. After applying a thin layer of deodorant, Leon rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the bed, where he grabbed his white undershirt.

"I mean...it's a cute tush..." Ada added softly, secretly hoping that her husband had heard. She listened intently, and could no longer hear the sound of the ex-cop's shirt rustling as he pulled it on. Turning her head to the side, Ada discovered that Leon had only managed to get one arm into the white dress shirt, and it appeared as if he had decided to stop dressing so he could glare at her again. The raven-haired woman smiled sweetly, with as much innocence as she could muster, before returning to her task.

"What am _I_ gonna do with _you_?" Leon questioned, echoing the same words that Ada had earlier. Before the ex-spy had the chance to retort, a loud knocking sound erupted downstairs, presumably from the front door. Ada turned around to face her husband, placing her hand on her hip devilishly.

"Perhaps you should get that handsome?" she suggested in a questioning tone, dropping her gaze to the fluffy towel that concealed her damp skin before returning her emerald eyes to the agent.

"Yeah, you're probably right. If that's the paperboy, and you answered the door like that, he'd probably have a heart attack." Leon teased, pulling on his black trousers, and tucking in his white undershirt. Ada laughed at the comment, and with a quick wink, the blonde man began walking towards the bedroom door. As soon as he made it past his wife, she swung her hand down swiftly, her palm connecting with his bottom. Leon lightly jumped at the contact, but never broke stride, choosing to sharply glare over his shoulder at the Eurasian beauty, who was grinning from ear to ear. Ada returned her husband's wink, prompting him to shake his head with a smile and exit the room. Leon rapidly made his way down the stairs to respond to the knocks, which were growing increasingly louder and more urgent. When he finally made it to his house's entrance, the ex-cop quickly opened the door, and was greeted by a familiar tall, dark-haired man, and a woman whose blonde hair was tied up into a pony tail.

"Kevin...Cindy...what are you two doing here?" Leon asked his friend, who stood to the left of his girlfriend, another Raccoon City survivor. The young waitress, Cindy Lennox, offered a warm smile, and looked up at Kevin, who opened his mouth to speak.

"Hunnigan called me earlier and gave me some new information Lee. Apparently, that Joe guy called and gave up the address to his hideout, and she wants us to go and check it out right away." Kevin answered immediately. That was one thing Leon had always liked about Kevin. He was a fun-loving guy, but when it came to work, he was no nonsense, and straight to the point. And by the looks of it, he was in the middle of taking Cindy to the restaurant that she worked at when he got the call. Another thing he liked about the older man was the fact that he was also a former Raccoon City officer turned government agent.

"He called us personally? That doesn't make any sense." the blonde man admitted, searching his mind for answers. Kevin simply shrugged, glancing back at his black Ford Explorer, which was parked in Leon's driveway.

"Well, he didn't technically call "us". He called the local P.D. and gave _them _the address. Then I guess they called Hunnigan." the older man clarified.

"Either way, it's gotta be a trap or something." Leon affirmed, not wanting to think of the other possibility. The other possibility being that he was too late, and would soon be finding the forth body to Joe's sick games. Kevin shrugged once again, unable to dig out an answer for the younger man.

"Look Lee, we really gotta get going. You riding with us, or...?" the dark-haired man trailed off, allowing the agent to fill in the blank.

"No, I'll ride with Ada. Look, I gotta finish getting ready real quick, so why don't you guys wait in your car, and we'll follow you?" Leon suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me. See you in a few minutes then." Kevin agreed, and began walking towards the black SUV with Cindy. Leon turned around in time to see Ada walking down the stairs completely dressed and ready for her day. She wore a white shirt, which was covered by a gray button up suit top. Her legs were concealed with black stockings that followed the entire length of her legs, all the way down to her black high heels, and her matching gray skirt stopped a couple of inches above her knees. Even in her "corporate casual" attire, Ada still retained the ability to awe her husband with her beauty.

"Who was at the door hun?" the Eurasian beauty inquired curiously, glimpsing at the front door.

"Kind of a long story, but we have to follow Kevin to a location. You wanna get the Viper warmed up while I finish getting dressed?" Leon asked, walking past his wife. Ada could tell by the look in Leon's eyes that the time for games was over, so she simply nodded in compliance and grabbed her keys as he made his way upstairs. She exited their house through the front door, and offered a small wave to Kevin and Cindy, who were waiting in their Explorer patiently. The raven-haired woman continued to the red Dodge Viper that was parked in the driveway, and upon reaching it, quickly piled into the driver's seat and brought the sports car to life. She turned the heat up, and held her hands in front of the vent while she waited for her husband to join her, glancing at the front door every now and then. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Leon walked out fully dressed. It didn't take long for him to reach the passanger's side door of Ada's car, which he opened without hesitation and hastily entered.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Ada questioned, shifting the car into reverse, and turning in her seat to back out of the driveway to follow Kevin.

"Joe's hideout." Leon replied once his wife had successfully backed out of the driveway and began to pursue the black SUV.

"And Ryman knows where it is, how?" the ex-assassin implored analytically, trying to keep pace with the Explorer.

"Well, apparently the psycho decided to tell on himself. He called the police this morning and gave his address." the agent responded nonchalantly.

"This feels like a trap babe. Why else would he be so willing to tell us where he is?" Ada wondered out loud. She took a right hand turn, mimicking the SUV that they were following, and slowly regained speed.

"Honestly, I don't think it's that simple Ada. When it comes to Joe, it never is." Leon admitted thoughtfully, and silently wished that Kevin would slow down a little bit. As anxious as the ex-cop was to get to the location, he didn't wish to put his pregnant wife in any danger to do so.

"What do you think his game is then?" the Eurasian beauty asked softly, risking a quick glance in her husband's direction. The agent leaned back in his seat for a moment and let out a light sigh.

"If he gave us the location, he's probably gone. He's following a pattern, and if I go by that, I can only assume that we're going to find another body...or possibly bod_ies_. There's no way his game is over yet, so I don't think he would want me dead right now." Leon explained, brushing back a lock of his strawberry blonde hair, which was still slightly damp. Ada nodded in understanding, and the couple drove in silence for the next couple of minutes, until they reached a very old house. Kevin's SUV stopped in front of the house, which was once white, but was now a filthy gray color as a result of years of neglect. The rickety porch that sat in front of the house sagged from it's own weight, the wooden planks having dry rotted long ago. And to top it all off, the only other buildings or houses within one hundred yards were in the exact same shape as the condemned home that stood before the three government agents.

"This has gotta be the place. It certainly reminds me of the last building." Leon professed, remembering the building that housed the concrete iron maiden which served as Billy Coen's prison.

"We'll just have to be extra careful then. It already looks like a determined gust of wind could level this place." Ada observed, reaching under her seat for the weapon that always waited there for her. She was halted when the blonde man gently reached out and stopped her arm from groping under the seat any farther. The ex-spy looked into her husband's blue eyes in confusion, waiting for him to explain his actions.

"Look honey...I think it would be for the best if you waited in the car while me and Kevin check the place out." Leon admitted, releasing his holdon his wife's arm.

"If I'm wrong and it does turn out to be a trap of some sort...well...I just can't put you and the baby in jeopardy like that." he continued, taking time to lovingly caress Ada's stomach.

"And what if you need my help? How am I supposed to know that everything is okay Leon? Do you honestly want me to sit out here and worry about you for every second I can't see or hear you?" Ada argued, even though she knew it would do no good. Her husband's face was already determined to keep her safe at any cost, which meant that he wasn't going to relent in this disagreement. Ada miserably dropped her gaze to the leather seat, but soon looked up when Leon offered his hand. Enclosed inside, she could see a small walkie talkie, which she took without hesitation.

"At least we can eliminate the part where you can't hear me." Leon suggested, pulling out his own walkie talkie and waving it in emphasis. Ada nodded solemnly, and turned the radio on as her husband opened the door of the vehicle.

"I'll be back in a minute hun...frequency three." he added, closing the door behind him. Kevin soon joined the blonde man, and together they walked towards the ancient porch. With a sigh, Ada switched the radio's frequency to three, and turned the volume up to a moderate level.

"Testing, one, two..." Ada spoke into the speaker, releasing the button when she was finished. She noticed Leon reach into his pocket and pull out the radio that he was carrying and hold it to his mouth as he and Kevin walked onto the porch.

"I hear you dear. You know...you're supposed to say over after you're done. But, I'll let it slide this time...over." the agent responded, prompting Ada to smile.

"Just hurry up, will you? Over." she replied, as Kevin cautiously opened the dirty brown door.

"Will do babe." Leon's voice answered as the two men entered the house. Ada already missed her husband's company in the car, and she could only assume that Cindy felt the same way about Kevin's absence.

_It's probably worse for her though...just be thankful that you can at least hear what's going on._

Ada slightly fidgeted in her seat, uncomfortable with her lack of knowledge on the situation. Unable to bear another second of radio silence, she pressed the button on the side of the radio.

"Talk to me handsome...what's going on in there?" she asked discreetly. The raven-haired woman peered at the house, trying to see any type of movement. However, because the two government agents had closed the door behind them and the windows were all boarded up, allowing no visibility, her actions proved to be ineffective.

"Me and Kevin split up. I'm taking the upstairs." Leon acknowledged, causing Ada to lightly tense up. She wasn't too keen on the idea of the two men separating so soon, especially in an unfamiliar area with little or possibly no light.

"It's pretty quiet in here, so I'm pretty sure this place is abandoned." he continued, and the sound of creaking steps could be heard over the transmission. The ex-assassin was very grateful that her husband was letting her know what was going on inside the house while she waited, as she doubted that she would have been able to keep a steady head without at least that.

_Just keep talking to me Leon..._

"Alright, I've reached the top. All the doors on this floor are boarded up except one, so I guess that pretty much narrows my choice down." the agent progressed. A couple of seconds passed, and Ada could only assume that her husband had entered the room. She allowed a few more seconds to pass before the silence began to gnaw away at the pit of her stomach.

_Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty...twenty seconds since his last transmission. Come on Leon...twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven..._

"Leon, do you copy?" the ex-spy questioned anxiously. Her stomach continued to churn unsteadily as she waited to hear the blonde man's voice again, and her mind toyed with possibility of sprinting into the filthy house to find her husband.

"I copy. Sorry hun, this room just took me by surprise. It's completely empty...and when I say empty, I mean...I...? I! That's it!" Leon suddenly exclaimed, as if he had discovered something.

"What? Leon, what in the world are you talking about?" Ada inquired, her heart rate increasing at Leon's tone.

"The answer to the riddle! It's pronounced as one letter, but written with three, and it's read the same from both ends. It's "eye"." the ex-cop explained, sounding very pleased with himself. The Eurasian beauty sighed in annoyance, not only at the inconvenient timing of Leon finding the answer, but also because he almost caused her to have a heart attack.

"Sorry Ada...I know now isn't really the time, but...I can't help it when my brain decides to...-_Leon_!" the agent began, but was cut off by Kevin's urgent voice. Leon's radio clicked off again, flooding Ada's car with the eerie silence that she hated so much.

"Leon? Leon, answer me! Leon?!" Ada began to panic, and she reached under the seat for the large .357 magnum. She easily flipped the revolving chamber open and made sure that all six rounds were loaded.

_Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..._

The precious seconds continued to tick away, each one slowly bringing Ada closer and closer to feeling physically ill with worry.

_Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four...I knew it was a trap. I knew it...but he didn't listen. He never listens, and now he might be dead, and I'll have to raise our baby alone because that Joe guy is in there and could be killing him right now..._

"Leon, please respond..." Ada begged weakly, the pain in her stomach and heart causing bitter tears to bite at her eyes. The radio remained silent, and the raven-haired woman grasped the door handle with her free hand.

_Thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two...please..._

"Do you copy Leon? If you can hear me, I'm coming in." she tried again, hoping that her last comment would push him to acknowledge.

_Forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six..._

Clutching the magnum tightly, Ada heaved the door to the Viper open, shutting it softly behind her. She gazed at the looming house expectantly, and listened for not only a radio transmission, but for any noises or shouts coming from inside the building. However, it remained as quiet as her walkie talkie, leaving Ada feeling as somber as the overcast clouds in the sky. She dared not glimpse at Cindy, who was probably even more worried than Ada was, as she began to creep towards the residence. Then again, the Eurasian beauty wondered if ignorance was indeed bliss in this situation.

_I hope so...for Cindy's sake..._

Ada reached the ancient porch, and carefully stepped onto the creaking structure. She tried to minimize the use of her heels while she walked to be more stealthy, but it proved to be very difficult due to the high heels that she chose to wear earlier. Keeping a firm grip on the Colt Python, Ada reached for the door knob with her left hand, hesitating for a second in case Leon decided to finally respond. When he didn't, the ex-assassin's resolve hardened and she yanked the door open, aiming into the dusty darkness.

--

_Wow guys...I am so sorry for the length of this chapter lol. This is...quite literally the longest chapter that I've ever written, in any of my stories. Of course, I'm even more sorry about the lack of updates, but I've been busy retro gaming lol. I downloaded Starfox 64, Street Fighter 2, and...Earthworm Jim...XDD...mostly for the sake of nostalgia! And I've been desperately trying to get rid of some funky sickness that I got...awesome stuff, huh?_

_Alright, enough with classic gaming, dreadfully long chapters, and persistent colds! I really hope you guys liked the chapter (if you managed to stay awake through it that is), because it...obviously took a while to write. I think that pretty much speaks for itself. So, the lyrics at the beginning are from the song Diary of a Madman again, which just so happens to still be by Ozzy Osbourne. And it's the name of the chapter...and story...what can I say though? I really dig that song. Also, for the translations, I decided to try something different, because I can only imagine how annoying it must be to have to look at this stupid rambling every time I add a French line lol. Hopefully it was a tad easier, and won't disrupt the reading as much._

_Leon/Ada...Joe...no wonder this was so long lol. Anyways, I would like to thank my always awesome readers/reviewers. If I may steal a line from Earthworm Jim, you guys are...ehem...GROOVY...XD...Okay, hopefully the next chapter will be updated...well, not almost a month away lol. I know I'm terrible..._


	8. Chapter 7 : Photograph

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Chapter 7 : Photograph**

"_Hate, I'm your hate,  
__I'm your hate when you want love,  
__Pay, pay the price,  
__Pay, for nothing's fair,  
__Hey, I'm your life,  
__I'm the one who took you there,  
__Hey, I'm your life,  
__And I no longer care..._"

Rebecca sat huddled in her dark little corner, feeling just about as useless as one possibly could. She had given up pounding on the thick metal door a while ago, not that she could be completely sure, as being trapped in the small room for so long had scrambled any concept of time she may have had. All of her efforts proved futile, and they only thing she managed to accomplish while attempting to escape was bruised hands. Not that Rebecca actually thought that she would escape, but at the very least, she wanted someone in the room with her so she wouldn't lose her grip on reality. With a small sigh, the young ex-S.T.A.R.S. member stood from her spot, wincing slightly at her sore hands.

_This is absurd Rebecca...pull yourself together, for God's sake. You're an ex-S.T.A.R.S. member...you survived not one, but two separate T-Virus outbreaks. Just keep yourself calm and think of a plan._

The young brunette quickly scanned over the tiny room's layout; why, she didn't quite know. Perhaps it was in the hope that she would see something new this time. Unfortunately, nothing about the prison had changed. There still weren't any windows or vents to escape from. The door was the only way out, and there was no way that she would be able to leave unless it was unlocked. Rebecca slowly approached the metal obstacle, gingerly feeling the cold, rough surface. Even if it was unlocked, she had no idea how many people could be waiting for her outside. She knew for a fact that, excluding Joe, there was at the very least another of his followers, from what she had gathered earlier.

_Hmm...look, it's better than nothing. I don't want to rot down here like a scared little girl. Billy taught me better...he helped me get stronger, and overcome my fears. Giving up and dying here isn't an option...it would be insulting to his memory._

Again, just thinking of his long, dark hair and cocky grin as he called her 'princess' or 'dollface', Rebecca had to bite her lip to try and stop the tears.

"Stop it..." she suddenly hissed, wiping her eyes and sniffling loudly.

_I love you Billy...and I probably won't ever stop mourning you, but...I can't start doing that now. I have to escape first, and...I know you'll help me. You've always helped me..._

Much softer than before, Rebecca knocked on the metal door, hoping to garner some sort of response. After a couple of seconds of waiting and still no response, she spoke up.

"Hey...I'm sorry to trouble whoever is out there, but...I'd really like a glass of water please." she announced, not resorting to shouting just yet. Rebecca was actually surprised that her voice came out as strongly as it did, as it was a far cry from her usual meek tone. She looked up at the ceiling gratefully and offered a small smile to the heavens.

"Thank you Billy..." Rebecca whispered softly, taking note of someone shuffling on the other side of the door.

--

Had Ada's reflexes not been top notch, her finger might've slipped when she saw the man standing before her. She might've pulled the trigger and killed him. Or maybe she would've frozen and been attacked, had the man been a threat. Instead, she simply dropped her arm and stumbled forward, wrapping her arms around Leon's neck.

"Jesus Ada...you scared me honey..." Leon breathed, pulling her deeper into his embrace. At that sentence, Ada suddenly glared up at him and lightly smacked the side of his arm, earning her a bewildered look from her husband.

"_I_ scared _you_?" she reiterated, holding her walkie up so Leon could focus on it.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened...I guess the signal just got too weak. Otherwise, you would've heard me say 'stay in the car, don't come inside'." he explained, lightly scratching the back of his head. In all of the confusion, Ada had almost forgotten their last transmission together.

"Wait...why? What happened? Why did Kevin call you like that?" she questioned, risking a glance back through the darkness in an attempt to see Kevin.

"He's okay Ada...nothing happened to him. But we did get to discover why Joe just gave up the location like he did." Leon admitted solemnly, plucking a small picture from his pocket and offering it to the raven-haired woman, who instantly accepted it. Her eyes scanned over the Polaroid, where she saw a very tanned male with long brown hair laying on a small, dingy table, either unconscious or dead. Ada raised her eyes in confusion, and Leon shook his head.

"I have no idea who that guy is, but we found that picture next to his body." the ex-cop informed. Ada nodded in understanding, handing the photograph back to her husband, who stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Was this...just to show what the man looked like?" she inquired hesitantly, knowing that the scene must have been bad when Leon nodded. After all, the body must have been in bad shape if a Polaroid was necessary just to identify the victim.

"I don't really want to go into the gruesome details Ada. And I definitely don't want you to see what we had to, with you being pregnant and all. Hell, even if you weren't..." the blonde man trailed off, looking down at his polished, black shoes, which were now splotched with ancient dust.

"I'd just...feel a whole lot better if you got out of the cold and went back to the car hun. There's no need to worry anymore...we swept the building and didn't run into any unexpected surprises." he continued, raising his head to look into Ada's eyes.

"Okay...I can do that. Someone has to call Hunnigan I suppose..." the ex-assassin agreed, offering a tiny smile.

"Thank you Ada." Leon replied, returning the smile in appreciation. He watched her turn and begin walking towards the car, and she even offered a small wave to Cindy, who seemed a bit apprehensive with what was going on. With a sigh, the agent returned inside of the house and made his way towards the dank kitchen, the only part of the house that reeked with death. As soon as he entered, he saw Kevin looking around for any clues near the body. Ada didn't know just how right she was when she suspected that the body was in bad shape. And there, laying on the top of a dirty kitchen table, where no doubt families used to eat their dinner, was now a murder scene. Flies buzzed around the bloody corpse, and had to be the only living thing in the house that actually enjoyed the smell. Blood soaked through the table, and spilled over the sides, pooling on the filthy tile below like a crimson sea.

"Jesus Leon...he must have taken his time with this poor guy, huh?" Kevin probed, standing from his spot when he noticed Leon return. The ex-cop simply nodded in agreement, glancing over at the unlucky soul.

"Did you find anything?" Leon asked while making his way towards the other agent.

"Not really, but I did examine the body for a bit. I'm no doctor or anything, but it doesn't look like this happened after he was killed. I don't see any blunt trauma or bullet holes...not even lacerations. So unless he had a heart attack or something, which at this point, I'm kinda hoping he did...I'd have to say he was literally skinned while conscious." the dark-haired man confessed gravely. Grunting in disgust and shaking his head, Leon once again looked over at the body, which had to have been surrounded by a million flies.

"That guy...he's one sick bastard." Kevin continued wearily, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah...you're telling me." the blonde agent agreed.

"Look Lee, I'll be right back, okay? I'm just going to tell Cindy that everything's okay and it'll be a little longer. God knows I don't want her deciding to come in or something..." the older man spoke quietly, and when Leon nodded in acknowledgement, began to exit the kitchen and make his way back to the Ford Explorer. When the ex-cop heard the front door groan and shut, he allowed his eyes to scan the room for anything suspicious. Nothing in the room really stood out, other than the table and corpse, and there wasn't any other furniture in the kitchen. An annoyed sigh passed through the government agent's lips, and as he turned his head to another spot, something caught his eye. Over on the wall, there was a dirty outline of where a picture had recently been taken off. As Leon approached the spot, he felt something below his feet crunch softly.

"The hell...?" he muttered quietly, lifting his foot from the area. Taking a step back, he saw glass directly below the spot where the picture once hung. He crouched down to examine the glass more closely. There he saw something that actually managed to catch Leon off guard. Blood. And the glass was much too far away from the table for it to have been the victim's blood.

_Hmm...it looks like...well, maybe I managed to get lucky. I'd hate to jump to conclusions, but maybe Joe punched the picture or something. Only question is, where is the picture?_

If Leon was indeed correct in his assumption, then he now had some evidence. And a blood sample no less. Of course, this still remained as Leon's hypothesis, but he longed to be correct. After all, it would be the only clue thus far that Joe had left behind. Slowly standing from his prone position, the blonde man turned on his heel and exited the kitchen, taking note that Kevin had yet to return. Then again, knowing him, he was probably trying to sweet talk Cindy into not being angry with him for making her late for work. Leon stopped near the staircase when he saw it, leaning against a wall. The cracked glass spider-webbed around a smiling family picture, which was without a doubt, the same size as the outline on the wall in the kitchen.

_How the hell did we manage to miss that?_

Without stopping to truly ponder that question, the agent made his way towards the picture and grabbed it in his hand. Instinctively, he scrutinized the front very carefully, and flipped it over to examine the back. There, taped to the frame was the notebook paper that was so familiar to him. Sighing, Leon tore the paper from the back and began reading it's contents.

_What is :_

_The beginning of eternity,  
__The end of time and space,  
__The beginning of every end,  
__And the end of every place?_

_All I do is eat, a shameless glutton am I,  
__And all your money, won't another minute buy,  
__When your life is taken without a single sigh,  
__Death by liquid and fueled by hate, you fry._

_Agent Kennedy...it's a little hard for me to admit, but I'm beginning to find my own game a tad...borish. I for one blame you...you just aren't playing to your full potential, are you? I knew all along that you weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on! Where's the challenge? Where's your heart? Why aren't you trying?! I mean...you haven't managed to save a single person! Don't get me wrong...I fully enjoy killing people, but it's about time to shake things up, don't you think? So here's the deal...I have a feeling things are going to be...changing slightly. And it might mean that my "master plan" will be unveiled a little sooner than I anticipated. I hope that's okay! Then again...you probably don't care. After all, you let four people die so far! What's a few...thousand more right?_

_Yours truly, Joe_

--

The shuffling on the other side of the door had stopped a while ago, but now footsteps could be heard, growing ever louder. Rebecca's heart began pounding as she hugged herself on the wall to the left of the door. Whoever was bringing the water would open it, and she would be hidden. Granted, she knew that because the small room had no other hiding places, that the spot was kind of obvious, so she had to be quick if her plan was to work. Slowly, the knob began to dance, and Rebecca couldn't tear her eyes away. The old knob finally turned ninety degrees, and the large door creaked wide open.

"Oh, Miss Chaaaaamb-..." Rebecca didn't allow the man to finish his sentence as she sharply kicked the door with all of her might, sending it swinging back into the face of whoever was bringing the beverage. She heard a glass shatter and a body slump to the floor, so she darted out from behind the door's blind spot and to her shock, saw Joe laying unconscious on the floor, blood dripping down his nose. Rebecca caught herself gaping at the sight, but hastily tossed her shock to the side and grabbed his feet, pulling him into the room with her.

_Okay...save your surprise for later 'Becca...you're almost home free!_

The small grin that was plastered on her face was quickly removed when she heard the sounds of more footsteps rapidly approaching.

"Shit..." she hissed in frustration, once again grabbing the madman's feet and dragging him. She had to use a lot of effort, but she eventually maneuvered his body behind the door.

"What the fuck was...?" a large man grunted, skidding into the room. He stopped when he spotted Rebecca, who didn't bother to waste any time. She dashed towards him, delivering a swift elbow into the man's nose. The henchman howled with pain, stumbling back a bit and spraying blood onto the walls. Again, the young brunette woman used his distraction to her advantage. She once again dashed toward him, stopping in front of his body to plant her boot behind his legs. Remembering her old S.T.A.R.S. training, Rebecca had no doubt in her mind that this would fool the clumsy oaf.

She wrapped her right hand around the man's neck and pulled him toward her with all of her strength. Unfortunately, the henchman was much stronger, and easily resisted by pulling himself away. With another grin, Rebecca knew she had him. Quickly, she removed her hand from the back of his neck and jabbed her elbow into his sternum with such ferocity, he easily tripped over her foot and crashed to the ground. Of course, it didn't help that he was also pulling away from the young woman. As soon as the man sat up, Rebecca charged, delivering a swift boot into his temple and knocking him out colder than Joe.

_Whew...please let nobody else be here..._

It was now the henchman's turn to be dragged into the room, but the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member wasn't sure if she could pull that kind of girth. However, with a small glance upwards and an even smaller sigh, she clutched onto his feet and began pulling as hard as possible. It seemed like an eternity before the man was safely inside the room with Joe, even though it was likely only a minute or two. Rebecca wiped her brow, which was slick with perspiration, and slammed the door closed, making extra sure to lock it. She grinned again, pleased with how she handled herself, and began to ascend a staircase.

_It was you Billy...I remembered everything you told me, and just thinking of you...it made me feel stronger. Now the madman is trapped, and will be put to justice._

The young brunette finally reached the top of the stairs, and quietly opened the door, which only creaked slightly. Not surprisingly, the upstairs was much brighter than her dank prison, and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the lighting. Rebecca wouldn't allow herself to waste these precious seconds though, and kept very still to listen for any sign of anyone who might be lurking on the first floor. She was quite surprised to find that she didn't hear a single sound, save for her own labored breathing. As silently as she could muster, the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member crept from the door way, eyeing the front door intently. Rebecca used every sense she could think of as she made her way to the front door, keeping careful to listen for any movement, feel any movement, and especially see any movement. She was only a few feet away from the door, when she couldn't bear it any longer. She charged forward and grasped the handle, twisting it simultaneously. When the knob wouldn't turn, she was horrified, and after casting a quick glance behind herself, began unlocking the door.

_Come on, dammit...come on!_

Her shaky fingers eventually managed to unlock the door, which swung open gratefully. Seeing her freedom in sight, Rebecca sprinted from the house, gulping down as much fresh air as possible as she surveyed her new surroundings.

--

_Hey, look at that...an update! No need to pinch yourself reader, this isn't a dream, I assure you. I finally decided to crack my knuckles and get to work, after four months of unnecessary delays (internet/computer problems, my break, and leaving all together for a month). And with that, I give you the first of many chapters to come. I'm revamping my style a little bit, as I'll now have an actual schedule to work on, which is nice. I'm aiming for one update a week to start off, but I'm hoping to eventually kick it up to two updates per week. I'm also slightly shortening the chapter lengths a bit, as...long chapters can get boring. Not only that, it should also help speed up updates, and...well, that makes me happy._

_Alrighty, so the lyrics at the beginning are from Metallica's "Sad But True". Wait...what I meant to say was, they are from Metallica's super-mega-uber-epic "Sad But True". Sorry...I didn't give that song enough credit..._

_'Becca fans...all those 'Becca fans out there! You love me now, yeah? Well, I hope so anyway...because Rebecca deserves to escape. I mean, come on now! Two separate outbreaks, one right after the next? She's a total gangster._

_Okay reader, once again, I apologize for the wait, and I still hope you'll stick with this story! I admit, it's getting a bit stale (to me at any rate), but things will pick up again in due time, I promise that! And to everyone who messaged me while I was away with...countless problems, I would like to personally thank you guys, because even though I may not have replied thanks to my computer deciding to up and die, your wishes and support have meant the world! Much love to everyone, and see you next week!_


	9. Chapter 8 : Nothing Else Matters

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Chapter Eight : Nothing Else Matters**

"_I understand about indecision,  
__But I don't care if I get behind,  
__People livin' in competition,  
__All I want is to have my peace of mind..._"

_Leon trudged through the graveyard, trying to ignore the sun's bright rays and the cheerful songs of happy birds. It was much too lively to be a graveyard, or so it seemed to the ex-cop. This was a place of mourning and paying tribute to those who had fallen. It was a place of eternal sadness, and he silently wondered how many tears had been shed over the memory of loved ones at this three acres of land. At any rate, it would take more than the brilliance of the sun and the chirping of birds to cheer him up. After all, his mother had only passed away two months before. Leon finally made it to the granite stone that he sought, and knelt down to brush the tips of his fingers across the engraving. He traced the words "Sharon P. Kennedy" with his index, and bowed his head in respect. It wasn't uncommon for the memories to wash over him like an angry tide, but the blonde man couldn't help but feel particularly overwhelmed._

_A lump slowly formed in his throat, and he felt the familiar stinging of tears biting at him. Leon slowly rose from his spot, breathing in the fresh air deeply. After he had his fill, he once again brought his eyes back to the slab of granite. He wasn't sure just how long he stood there in a trance-like state, but when he heard soft footsteps crunching against dead leaves, the agent in him came out, and he instinctively turned his head._

_"Dad? What are you doing here?" Leon asked, even though he already knew the answer. Hugh Kennedy let out a sigh, but continued walking. When he was within a foot of Leon, he extended his arm, placing it on his son's shoulder._

_"I outta ask you the same, my boy." Hugh replied, looking down to gaze at the lettering that Leon had only a few moments ago been looking at._

_"From what I've seen and heard, you've come here everyday for the past two months." he continued, bringing his eyes to lock with his son's. Hugh released his grip on the agent's shoulder, allowing his arm to drop to his side as he waited for Leon's response._

_"Yeah, I guess I have..." he confessed solemnly, garnering a nod of understanding from his father. The men remained quiet for a few moments, before Hugh walked beside Leon and looked at the grave longingly. The ex-cop also turned around, the image of his mother's smiling face flashing through his mind momentarily. Again, the two men remained silent for a few minutes, until Hugh spoke up._

_"Your mother wouldn't want you here everyday, my boy. You know what she'd say if she saw you moping here like this?" the older man questioned with a small smile. Leon met his father's eyes and shook his head._

_"She'd say, 'Leon, you have yourself a wife now. You better get home to her quick and make me a grandchild already!'" Hugh mimicked his late wife, earning a small chuckle from his son._

_"Yeah...you're probably right dad...I just wish I could have actually had a child before mom passed away..." Leon remarked as he felt his spirit beginning to sink again._

_"Everything happens for a reason son. If God had intended for you to have a child, you would have one. And when you and Ada are ready, He will know." Hugh spoke softly, taking time to gaze at the sky dreamily. Leon's eyes slowly drifted to the ground, but he nodded in agreement. When the blonde man felt his father's grip on his shoulder again, Leon quickly caught the older man's eyes._

_"And when that time comes Leon, your mom will be watching you from Heaven, smiling down at your family. So don't feel as though you let her down lad...she never had anything but the highest of praise when she spoke of you." Hugh assured, gazing at the tombstone lovingly before continuing._

_"Remember my boy, God works in mysterious ways. We shouldn't dwell on those who have passed on...quite the contrary, actually. We should be joyous and celebrate their life, as they no longer feel any pain. Sharon...she's in a much better place now. You understand, don't 'cha lad?" he inquired._

_"Yeah...I think I do dad. Thanks..." Leon replied, once again dropping his gaze to his mother's grave._

"...Thanks Trevor. And in other news, the serial killings continue, as the forth body to the madman's gruesome onslaught was found yesterday morning in an abandoned house on Clearwater Avenue. The victim, thirty-one year old Carlos Oliveira, was apparently butchered so badly that forensic experts had to identify him by using his dental records. The hunt for the madman, simply known as 'Joe' is under full investigation by-..." at the touch of a button, Leon clicked the television set off, no longer wishing to hear Alyssa Ashcroft's voice. Joe's game was taking a turn for the worst, and the agent had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't even known Carlos Oliveira; the only thing he knew was the fact that Carlos was a Raccoon City survivor. As a matter of fact, everyone who had died up to that point had been a survivor of some type of outbreak. The only problem was, Leon didn't know each and every survivor of the various biohazard outbreaks that had occurred over the years.

_But why target the survivors of Umbrella's mistakes? The only reason I can come up with is...because he knew that would get my attention. And that last note he left..._

Shaking off the ominous feeling that he was getting from the events throughout the past five days, the agent let his eyes drift towards his watch. Slightly shocked that it was almost ten o'clock, Leon quickly glanced at the stairs leading to his room. Ada was no doubt in there waiting for him, most likely getting ready for bed as he should have been doing. The blonde man silently cursed himself for getting lost within thoughts of his father and the man who had been causing him such a hard time lately. The simple fact was, Leon knew that he was unconsciously neglecting his wife. It had only been five short days, but it felt like an eternity. So with that revelation, Leon hastily got up and switched off the living room lights as he made his way upstairs towards his room. When he reached the doorway, the ex-cop spotted Ada already dressed for bed and tossing the covers on the mattress aside.

"Honey...?" Leon spoke softly, only hoping to grab his wife's attention. Ada immediately stopped what she was doing and swirled around elegantly, offering a warm smile to the man that she loved.

"Yes, what is it dear?" she questioned curiously, taking a seat on the side of the bed.

"Can we talk?" the blonde man simply asked, stepping completely into the room and shutting the door.

"Of course we can." Ada replied almost instantly, taking time to pat the spot on the mattress directly to the right of her. Leon nodded in acknowledgement and made his way to the other side of the bed. When he climbed on, he inched closely to the Eurasian beauty and wrapped his left arm around her body as she snuggled into his chest.

"What do you have on your mind, handsome?" the raven-haired woman queried, looking up to meet her husband's eyes. Leon however continued to gaze straight ahead, apparently deep in thought, before he finally lowered his attention to Ada, smiling as he did so.

"You." he confessed timidly, absorbing and fully enjoying her presence. The ex-spy furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion, prompting the agent to slightly chuckle.

"I guess...I just feel bad. Ever since the first murders began, I realized that...I haven't really been giving you the attention you deserve." Leon admitted, although it seemed as if he was struggling to find just the right words. Ada's eyes continued to portray confusion, so with a deep sigh, the ex-cop tried to gather himself to speak once again.

"The other night when we talked...you were right. I've been so wrapped up in my work, that I've barely paid any attention to the things that are most important to me. Right now, you're-..." Leon was abruptly cut off when Ada gently placed her finger over his lips.

"You don't have to explain anything to me Leon. I understand that you're going through a difficult time, and you're not exactly sure how to handle the situation that's been placed before you. But believe me when I say, everything will blow over soon." Ada reassured, removing her finger from the lips of her husband.

"I'm not concerned with that right now Ada. The only thing I want you to know is...you're the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. And I...truly appreciate that. It just feels so long since I told you how much you mean to me...and how much I need you..." Leon continued, gazing deeply into his wife's jade eyes. Ada softly sighed, and opened her mouth to speak again, before the blonde man cut her off.

"No Ada...you need to hear this. When we first got married, I swore to myself that I would give you all of the love and attention that you deserved, because God knows you've done enough for me...I just...if my old self from 1998 or 2004 could see me married to you right now, and not telling you that I love you each and every day, they'd give me a good, swift kick to the ass..." Leon professed with a small laugh, prompting Ada to smile warmly.

"And it wouldn't matter what the circumstances were eith-..." the Eurasian beauty once again silenced her husband with a simple touch of her index finger to his lips. Like before, Leon looked at her in a mixture of slight annoyance and curiosity, both of which caused Ada to roll her eyes and laugh.

"Just shut up and kiss me handsome..." she declared, wrapping her arm around the nape of his neck and pulling him close. Leon wasn't sure what he was expecting; he knew his wife well enough to know that she would never agree to his self-allegations, but he certainly wasn't expecting her to forgive him so soon. Then again, maybe she truly didn't believe what he did and simply understood the situation. Or perhaps she was simply trying to make him feel better about the situation. Whatever the case, as soon as their lips connected, all of Leon's worries and thoughts melted away into nothing and he only focused on Ada. She relaxed her hold on the agent, but pushed him over on his back, climbing on top. Taking a second to break away, Ada switched off the light that rested on the bedside table, bathing the entire room in the moonlight that penetrated through the window. She looked down at her husband in adoration as Leon's hands worked up her back, gently pulling her back to him. When the Eurasian beauty was only inches away, the ex-cop lifted his head from the mattress and captured her soft lips again, kissing her delicately as they both seemed to float the remainder of the way down together. Everything in the room seemed to intensify as Leon's senses heightened, and he could feel the steady rhythm of Ada's heartbeat on his.

Very gingerly, the blonde man lifted the weightless silk of her crimson nightgown and pulled it over her head. His hands glided over the newly exposed flesh as it began to happen. Time and space were slowly ceasing to exist, as it always did when they shared intimate moments. Soon there would be nothing to separate their love; no barriers, no obstacles or facades...simply two lovers merging into one for the briefest of moments.

"Leon..." Ada whispered softly, running her hands over his chest as he began kissing and nipping at the tender skin on her neck, eventually working his way down to her collarbone. He paused for what seemed like an eternity as the raven-haired woman tugged his shirt off, and he immediately returned when her task was complete. Wrapping his arms around Ada's body, Leon trailed delicate kisses back up her neck and when she felt that he was close enough, the ex-assassin buried her fingers in his blonde locks and pulled him closer, almost needing to kiss him again. Her body rose and fell, working in unison with her husband and forming tiny beads of sweat on her brow. Leon allowed his hands to trail down his wife's stomach and continue to her outer thighs, where he gently massaged her cream-colored skin, eliciting tiny gasps and heated whispers, until replacing them back on her hips.

Time no longer existed. The frantic city of Washington D.C. may as well have been a deserted island to the lovers, as nothing remained. It almost seemed as if everything was a black void, and the only thing that existed was what the moon's pale glow allowed to be seen. It acted as a spotlight on the lovers' bed, and there was simply nothing else left.

"I love you Ada...so much..." Leon breathed against her neck. Their bodies were now moving rhythmically, perfectly harmonizing with each other. Whenever one member of the couple's heart would increase, so to would the other. They were syncing together, almost even on a spiritual level. Ada's movements soon became faster, and they both knew that the euphoria was close at hand. Every inch of their bodies was now slick with perspiration, and the pheromones that they both exuded only acted as fuel, intoxicating them with even more unbridled passion. Leon's breathing became labored, as did Ada's, and his hands grasped her lower back, in turn causing hers to clutch his chest. She then buried her face into the crook of her husband's neck, and they both moaned in ecstasy, as they were now one.

And just like that, as if the rift in time had decided to mend itself, reality flashed back into view and Ada rolled off of her husband's lap and laid by his side, cuddling closer. Everything in the room began to clear as soon as the line between life and absolute elation was no longer blurred, and Leon was once again able to read the neon green alarm clock by the bed.

_Half past eleven...damn._

Although it may have only seemed like the fraction of a second to the couple, an entire hour and a half was lost, forever trapped within the memory of their steamy experience. Taking his first deep breath in almost two hours, Leon turned his head to the side, delivering an affectionate kiss to the top of his wife's raven-colored head, which elicited a small giggle.

"See? I'm not mad at you..." Ada declared, nuzzling herself closer into his arms. The agent smiled to himself, breathing a satisfied sigh of relief and allowing his eyes to slowly shut. It wasn't long before the couple's rapid panting slowed back to normal, but before they both felt themselves drift off into sleep, Leon heard his wife whisper one of the most sincere things he'd ever heard in his life.

"I love you..."

--

Rebecca sat in the passenger's seat of the battered pick-up truck, ignoring just about everything other than the constant, hypnotic movement of the yellow lines in the center of the dark road. She wasn't one who usually hitch-hiked often; in fact this was her first time. The ex-S.T.A.R.S member had heard plenty of stories and saw more than enough horror movies to know that what she was doing wasn't exactly the safest mode of transportation. But after walking for hours and seeing a sign that informed her that Washington D.C. was approximately forty-five miles away, she decided to take the risk.

_Besides, what are the odds of this guy being any worse than Joe?_

That thought amused the brunette woman, and she even scoffed at the idea. _Nothing _could be worse than that. Taking time to gaze at the pot-bellied driver, she once again threw caution to the wind. All she wanted was to get back to her city and get help. And unfortunately for Rebecca, there seemed to be a lot of assholes who would rather leave a young girl stranded on the side of the road, rather than pick her up, which was why she lost a whole day of traveling. She lightly shuddered at the thought of the shit-hole motel that she was forced to stop at the day before. It probably wouldn't have even mattered if the wallpaper had been intact and not reminded her of the oh-so-dull dungeon that the madman had kept her prisoner in for two days. Either way, Rebecca doubted she would have gotten much sleep anyway. Suddenly, the vehicle began to slow, leaving the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member to look around what was a surprisingly familiar setting.

"Well, here we are. D.C., just like I promised." the driver spoke up, motioning to the outside world.

"You'll be alright from here?" he continued, casting a glance in her direction and prompting her to nod. Rebecca pulled the handle on the door, unbuckling her seat belt simultaneously, and exited the pick-up.

"I'll be just fine. Thanks a lot Mister." she replied courteously, shutting the door. With that, the driver sped off into the night, leaving the young brunette alone to survey her surroundings. Given her location, Rebecca figured that her destination would be quite a walk, so with a heavy sigh, she set off.

--

_Nothing like a nice helping of Leon/Ada love to warm the soul, eh reader? This is actually take two of this chapter, because I'm retarded. Actually, no...I take that back. My computer is the retarded one...and not just mine, computers in general. Why, oh why, does the backspace button sometimes delete a previous letter, and in other times, much like earlier, decide to make the web page go backwards? Seriously, blame computer programmers because this update took a tiny bit longer than necessary. I am...how dare they make me have to reread over this chapter again, change spelling again, and rewrite these author notes again?!_

_Anyway, I know some people might complain that I didn't take the love scene into lemon territory, even though this fic is rated M...but I don't care. I don't really like lemons (no disrespect to those who do), and to smut up Leon and Ada's loving relationship would shame me forever. Besides, I find that when people focus more on the loving connection in love scenes, it's much more powerful. And I know this is kinda late, but this story is only rated M for language, blood and gore, and excessive violence. With everything that I've written so far, I really don't think this could have passed the T rating lol._

_Also...I know this will probably be asked as well, and it's a very good question. If Rebecca stopped at a motel, why didn't she call the police or someone that she knew for a ride? Well...I don't really have an answer lol...yes, that would be the logical thing to do, but it didn't work for what I was going for lol. Maybe I'll be able to think of a better explanation in the next chapter or something...XD_

_Okay, so the lyrics at the beginning are from Boston's "Peace of Mind", which was the original name of this chapter before I changed it. I think Nothing Else Matters fits a tad more, don't you? Ahh, of course you do, you can't disagree! That isn't allowed! Okay...maybe it is, but still! Besides...I've been binging on Metallica a lot lately for some reason...I may or may not be an addict...a metal addict! Don't worry, I'm checking myself into HBA tomorrow...yes that stands for Headbangers Anonymous, don't look at me in that tone of voice reader! XD_

_Well, so far so good on the foolproof "One Update A Week Plan"...Yes, I'm sorry that name has indeed already been copyrighted by me, and I will be releasing a video in a few short months showing how all of you can stick to an updating schedule too! For $19.95, of course...plus tax...and shipping and handling. CoughNOREFUNDScough XDD...anyway, be on the look out next Thursday for Chapter Nine : Turn The Page! And as always, a giant bag o' ye olde fashioned love for my awesome readers and reviewers! You guys are still as groovy as ever, and still inspire me as much as ever, so a thousand and one thank you's! ^_^_


	10. Chapter 9 : Turn The Page

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Chapter 9 : Turn The Page**

"_On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha,  
__You can listen to the engine moaning out it's one-note song,  
__You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before,  
__But your thoughts will soon be wandering, the way they always do,  
__When you're riding sixteen hours and there's nothing much to do,  
__And you don't feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through..._"

Leon wasn't completely sure why he had forced his eyes open. The alarm of his clock hadn't gone off yet, informing him to wake up. And Ada wasn't shaking his shoulders to force him awake either. His hand drifted over to the cool, empty spot beside him, and he figured that was probably why. He sat up groggily, squinting his eyes to see what time it was. Only ten minutes before he was actually supposed to wake up, but something else was bothering the blonde man. He remembered back to a few minutes earlier when he had heard strange sounds piercing through the darkness. Leon turned his body, dangling his feet off of the side of the bed, and looked toward the bathroom, where a small beam of light penetrated through the bottom of the door. Suddenly, the same grunting noises from earlier started up again, so the agent in him forced Leon to go and investigate. When he reached the bathroom's entrance, the ex-cop lightly rapped on the wooden door with his knuckles.

"Ugh...Leon...?" came Ada's weak reply, followed by some shuffling. While the early morning had successfully perplexed the blonde man earlier, his eyes suddenly widened in realization.

_Gotta be morning sickness..._

Leon reached for the knob, gently turning it and pushing the door in. There he saw his very pale wife hunched over the toilet, dry heaving. When she noticed him, Ada glared at him weakly through her puffy eyes and motioned him away.

"Leon...get out...I don't want-..." another dry heave cut the raven-haired woman off as she turned her attention back to the white porcelain, just in case. When she was satisfied, Ada looked back at her tired husband.

"I don't want you to see me like this..." she admitted wearily, resting her chin on her hand to stare blankly at the back of the toilet. Leon simply ignored her wishes and stepped further into the bathroom, not stopping until he was directly behind his wife. She suddenly grunted and began heaving again, so the blonde man smoothed back her damp hair and started to rub her back soothingly. And just like that, Leon knew that although Ada would never admit it, she truly didn't want him to leave her in the bathroom alone. He also felt some sort of strange connection to his wife while she was dealing with the affects of morning sickness. Almost like they were bonding in their own unique way, and while it may have been an entirely different experience from the night before, it still left the blonde man feeling that much closer Ada.

_Maybe it's because...in a way, we're both experiencing this together..._

After a few more minutes of the Eurasian beauty heaving over the porcelain toilet, she finally rubbed her face wearily and stood up. A portion of the color had returned to her face, and even though she had just finished throwing up, she still managed a small smile. Hand in hand, the couple exited the bathroom together and Leon began gathering his clothes for the day.

"You're not going to work today, are you?" he asked, pulling out a clean black suit from his closet and tossing it on his bed.

"Well, after I brush my teeth I am." the ex-spy announced, also pulling out her work clothes. Leon shot her a surprised look as she continued to gather her things, but after feeling her husband's gaze upon her, she whipped around with a smirk.

"Honey...a little morning sickness isn't going to stop me from doing my job." Ada explained, turning around to toss a pair of the agent's socks in his direction. Leon expertly caught the garments with his left hand while keeping his eyes on his wife.

"Ada...I know you, remember? I don't want you pushing yourself too hard with this. I realize that you're a very strong woman, but this is a completely different situation." the ex-cop stated, prompting Ada to sigh.

"Leon, honey...I wouldn't be the first woman in the world to go to work after getting a little morning sickness." she affirmed, placing her hand on her hip. Leon nodded in understanding, and began to dress.

"Yes, but most people don't have the type of job as you. You never know when we'll be called in to put our lives on the line for something." the blonde man argued, pulling his black suit pants on. Ada rolled her eyes with a smile, appreciating her husband's concern.

"Trust me...I know a lot is going on right now, but you're worrying over nothing. Everything will be okay, I promise." she replied, pulling on a gray skirt. Leon sighed in defeat, deciding to give up trying to persuade his wife. When Ada made her mind up, there was little anyone could do to change it. After pulling on his long, white undershirt, the agent let a small smile spread over his face.

"So...how was your first day of morning sickness?" he questioned, walking behind her. Ada had just about finished dressing, and was standing in front of the mirror. She looked into the reflective surface when Leon spoke, seeing him continue towards her. When he was within range, the agent wrapped his arms around his wife, earning him a wide smile.

"I suppose it wasn't too horrible. At least you were in there with me." Ada admitted, enjoying his warmth.

"I knew you didn't really want me to leave..." Leon proclaimed, grinning in triumph. The raven-haired woman sighed, rolling her eyes, and turning in her husband's grip.

"Uh huh...sure you did. And how was the first day of _my _morning sickness for you? Hmm?" she purred into his neck, rubbing his lower back gingerly.

"It wasn't so bad. I'm just waiting for the weird cravings to kick in. Should be fun traveling on the other side of town at midnight because you want a...pickle relish sundae with anchovies or something..." the ex-cop confessed with a small laugh. Suddenly, Ada's head shot up and her stomach groaned in protest. The color from her face quickly drained, and after shooting an accusatory glare at her husband, she held her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Uhh...whoops..." Leon mumbled, scratching the back of his head and trying the door's knob. It proved to be unsuccessful, as the Eurasian beauty had already locked it. Seeing no other choice, the blonde man very cautiously knocked on the door for the second time that morning, but only heard Ada heaving on the other side.

"Ugh...God. Leon...? Just...wait for me in the car..." came her hoarse voice after a few minutes, leaving Leon to rub his face in a mixture of guilt and anxiety.

--

By the time the agent saw Ada exit their house, his Jeep was completely warmed up, as if it hadn't been sitting outside all night in the freezing temperatures of Washington D.C. in December. He nervously began drumming on the steering wheel with his index fingers, an odd habit he had developed over the years, and he couldn't help the innocent grin that spread over his face as his wife entered the vehicle. She quietly put her seat belt on, and just as Leon was about to sigh in relief, she caught him off guard with a quick, playful smack against his arm. A smack that caused them both to begin laughing when it impacted.

"I'm so sorry honey..." the ex-cop apologized, reaching his right hand over to lightly caress the alabastercolored skin on her's. Ada looked over at her husband, a playful smirk on her face, and her eyes dancing mischievously.

"Uh huh...maybe next time you'll choose your words more carefully, handsome." she replied as Leon put the vehicle into reverse and began backing out. He looked over at her as he shifted into drive and grinned, nodding at her words, before applying pressure to the accelerator and sending the Jeep in the direction of the government building. The couple drove the remainder of their destination in silence, perfectly content with each other's company. It wasn't the fact that they were both quiet that worried Leon when he pulled into the parking lot of the building. It wasn't even the fact that the day before had been unusually uneventful, as if Joe had decided to take the day off. But when the agent brought the SUV near the front of the building and he saw Hunnigan flagging him over, he grew tense. Then again, it probably also had a lot to do with the young woman by her side; a woman that Leon hadn't seen in at least a year. He parked the Jeep next to the women, leaving it in idle, and rolled his window down.

"Rebecca? Hunnigan, what's going on?" the blonde man inquired in confusion, glancing between the two brunettes.

"Of all the days to be late Kennedy...I was just about to drive her there myself..." Hunnigan muttered angrily. Leon would have liked to explain that being late wasn't exactly avoidable on this particular day, but decided against agitating the female agent any further. She was obviously in one of her moods.

"I'll explain everything on the way Hunnigan, but we have to leave now!" Rebecca suddenly interrupted, piling into the back of the Jeep. Leon and Ada exchanged a nervous glance as Hunnigan simply nodded in agreement, turning to reenter the government building. The ex-cop's head began to whir in confusion, and he couldn't help but turn around in his seat to get try and get some answers from the young medic.

"Rebecca, do you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Leon asked wearily. If there was one thing he hated, it was being left out of the loop. Rebecca sighed impatiently, glaring at her old friend.

"Well, here's the short version. Your buddy Joe is locked up in this house in Frederick. Now will you please get us moving on I-270?" she replied hastily, anxiously looking out of the rear window. These words almost rendered Leon without the ability to move. Almost. He slammed the Jeep into drive and headed towards the interstate, keeping a steady, but safe speed. No matter what, he would _not_ endanger his pregnant wife.

"Okay, now that we're moving, feel free to give me the long version." the agent requested, his eyes never leaving the road in front of him.

"I suppose we have the time...to start off, I was kidnapped by that lunatic." the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member began, buckling herself in. Out of the corner of his eye, Leon noticed Ada turn her head, prompting the young brunette to continue.

"He kept me locked up in the basement of some house in Frederick for two days. I managed to escape on Wednesday...it took me another two days to finally get back to D.C. But that isn't the important part..." Rebecca declared, taking time to rub her eyes wearily. When she looked back up, she noticed Ada giving her a look of sympathy. The young medic managed a small, grateful smile before proceeding.

"While I was escaping, I knocked out Joe and one of his henchman friends. Then I locked them both up in the same basement that they'd kept me in." Rebecca finished, taking a deep breath. Leon's eyes widened at this revelation, and because they were now on the interstate, began to increase the speed of the SUV.

"So what you're saying is, we're heading to that location now, and just like that...we got the bastard." Ada spoke softly, turning around in her seat.

"You said that he kept you for two days. During this time..." the blonde man trailed off, searching for the safest choice of words.

"He didn't hurt me or anything...well, unless psychological torment counts." Rebecca clarified, prompting Leon to nod.

"Did you manage to figure anything out? Such as, why he wants to hurt my husband so much?" the Eurasian beauty cut in, turning her head to once again meet the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member's eyes.

"Sort of...he's kind of a mystery though. Leon?" the young medic asked, garnering the blonde man's attention.

"Joe told me...he doesn't want to kill you. He said that...killing innocent people would make you suffer more. I don't know why he hates you so much, but..." Rebecca trailed off, brushing back a lock of her brunette hair and taking a low sigh.

"All I know is a few things. He likes to speak in French, for example. He also had some...messed up childhood." she remarked further, thinking back to the couple of days that she spent locked up inside the dingy basement.

"I don't get it...so what, he blames Leon because his mommy didn't hug him enough?" Ada muttered coldly to no one in particular.

"Rebecca, do you know who Carlos Oliveira is?" Leon suddenly cut in, shifting his gaze to the rear view mirror, and catching the brunette woman's eyes for a moment. Rebecca took time to shut her eyes in concentration for a brief minute, before they quickly snapped open.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do know him! Well...sorta. He's a friend of a friend..." she explained hastily. When the raven-haired woman looked at her, as if asking her to continue, Rebecca obliged.

"My friend, Jill Valentine...she escaped Raccoon City with him." the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member continued, knowing that the couple before her was very familiar with that particular city.

"Anyway, why do you ask?" Rebecca implored after no one had spoke for a couple of minutes.

"Just because...he was found murdered the same day that you escaped." Leon clarified with a sigh, changing lanes after getting caught behind a slower driver. Rebecca sat back in her seat, feeling slightly deflated. She had almost forgotten...innocent people had been killed while she was being held in captivity.

"How many died?" the young brunette questioned quietly. She already knew about two deaths; Carlos and...the other one she refused to think about at that time.

"Four." Ada replied in an even quieter voice, which seemed to cast silence all around the vehicle. Rebecca felt the heavy feeling return, but dared not ask the names of the victims. After all, there was a chance that another person that she was close to was no longer with her. Just then, an important piece of information popped into the young woman's mind. A piece of information that caused her to sigh heavily before revealing it.

"Oh, I almost forgot...Hunnigan wanted me to inform you of something else. Do you remember the first killings that started this mess...those two security guards?" Rebecca began, shifting her gaze between the blonde man and the ex-assassin. When she saw Leon nod slowly while keeping focused on the road, she continued.

"Remember that trace evidence of the T-Virus that was found on one of their shirts? Well, they found it again...on Billy..." the young medic finished, more than reluctant to speak the name of her deceased boyfriend. Ada held her hand to her mouth and mumbled 'Oh my God', but Leon didn't react. Truth be told, he had completely forgotten about the tiny portion of the T-Virus that was found on the security guard's shirt. With the amount of death surrounding him, and the mortality rate climbing higher with each passing day, two random security guards were sadly at the bottom of his 'Stuff to Worry About' list.

"I can't believe I forgot that...he's been flaunting the fact that he has the T-Virus this entire time..." Leon mused softly to himself. He didn't have too much time to dwell in his thoughts however, as he turned to take the exit that would lead to Frederick. It was up to Rebecca to direct him where to go from there, and before long the trio found themselves parked in front of a ranshackle home.

"That's the one, I'm sure of it." Rebecca whispered from the backseat, fidgeting slightly as less than pleasant memories from her experience came flooding back to her. The Eurasian beauty took notice of this, and gave the younger woman a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, you don't have to go back in there if you don't want to. You can just wait here in the car, right hun?" Ada suggested, directing the question towards her husband, who nodded in agreement.

"Great idea...she can keep you company, my love." Leon agreed, exiting the vehicle. The raven-haired woman shook her head in annoyance as Rebecca allowed a grin to form on her face. Without hesitation, Ada also exited the Jeep and caught up with the blonde man, who seemed taken aback by her presence.

"Don't look at me like that Leon, I'm one hundred percent aware that I'm pregnant, but I'm not going through what I did last time. It's just not happening, so don't say anything, just keep walking, and I'll make sure that your love life doesn't suffer a serious blow." the ex-spy declared in determination, inadvertently causing her husband to laugh. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, and raised her eyebrow as if daring him to argue with her.

"I was only gonna remark on how you look especially beautiful today honey..." Leon informed with a grin, stepping onto the worn out front porch. Ada rolled her eyes at his statement, but couldn't stop the small smile that formed on her lips. When the ex-cop reached the wooden door, he peered over his shoulder, first at Rebecca in the Jeep, and then at Ada, who offered a quick nod, signifying that she was prepared.

"Just do me a favor and stay behind me Ada. Neither of us have any weapons, so if something happens...let's just be ready for anything." the agent proclaimed as he swung the door open, stepping into the dimly lit structure. The couple allowed a few moments to pass as their eyes adjusted to the dark, before continuing towards an open door. When they reached the opening, they saw stairs leading deeper down into the house.

"Basement..." Ada muttered, looking over her shoulder cautiously. Leon silently agreed, taking a few steps down the old passageway. When they had descended a little further, the blonde man saw that the door at the bottom was slightly ajar, so he raised his hand, instantly halting his wife. As quietly as possible, he continued the rest of the way alone. When Leon finally reached the rather large, metal door, he wrapped his fingers around the knob, mentally preparing himself for anything. With an inaudible sigh, he quickly pushed on the knob, swinging the large door open and scanning every inch of the room. His eyes stopped when they spotted a large man lying crumpled on the floor in the corner. A pool of blood surrounded him, soaking and staining his clothes in it's deep crimson color. As Leon neared closer, the cause of death was no longer a mystery. There was a large horizontal laceration on his throat, presumably made from a knife or other similar sharp object.

"God dammit...I knew it was too good to be true. He isn't here...he got out somehow..." Leon mumbled quietly, scrutinizing the remains of the unknown male.

_Shoulda known Kennedy...of course he isn't. But who the hell is this guy?_

Deciding that he had taken too much time already, the blonde man turned around, preparing to exit the empty room to inform his wife what was going on. Instead, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of something that was impossible to see when he first entered. Hidden within the very blind sight of the door that Rebecca had taken advantage of, was the remains of another body slumped in the corner. But these remains were in far worse condition than the unknown man on the other side of the room; in fact, disregarding Angela and Claire, these remains were in the worst conditions so far.

"Ada? Joe isn't here...but whatever you do, don't come in." Leon called hoarsely, taking a few steps towards the door while trying unsuccessfully to pry his eyes from the hidden body.

"Why not? What's in there?" she replied in a loud whisper, but heeding her husband's advice. The agent took a deep breath, still unable to look anywhere but what remained of the unlucky man or woman.

"Trust me...you'd be better off not knowing..." Leon informed, swallowing thickly.

--

"How much longer is this gonna take buddy?" Joe quipped for the twentieth time, garnering an annoyed glare from his companion.

"I told you not to call me that. And the more you ask, the longer it takes." the man replied, turning his attention back to the square-shaped device on the ground. The madman stifled a giggle with his hand, and knelt down beside the other man.

"Right, right, right...just tell me. How big is it gonna be?" Joe asked curiously, grinning down at the device in wonder. The man remained indifferent and continued working, only pausing at a good stopping point.

"The size of the explosion does not matter. As long as it gets people's attention." he stated coldly, lowering his eyes.

"And you think this little puppy'll do the job, buddy?" Joe continued, still staring at the device. When he felt the man's cold eyes upon his, Joe met his gaze and cocked his head to the side innocently. The man slowly stood from his spot, drawing a large knife from behind his back.

"I'll tell you once more. Do _not_ call me that. Or I'll kill you." the man affirmed, pointing the blade at the madman, who held his palms up in submission.

"Hey, easy killer! You need to lighten up a bit...what was it that you wanted to be called then? Albert?" Joe remarked with an innocent smile, also standing when the man put his weapon away.

"You needn't worry anymore...the explosive is in place. Here's the detonator." Albert spoke softly, extending his arm and offering the small electronic remote. Joe took the detonator with a smile, looking it over many times.

"When are you setting it off?" the man questioned, turning his back to the dark-haired man.

"I think I'll let Agent Kennedy stew for a little while...I'd say a week, give or take. Probably take..." Joe admitted, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Inform me when you have the exact date figured out. I don't know what your grudge is against Kennedy, and I don't care. Because I still have someone I need to take care of before you set it off." Albert informed, walking towards the exit of the building that they were in.

"Ah, I understand...such a sad, cruel fate she'll suffer. I like it already!" Joe cackled, catching up with the slow pace of his companion.

"Have you taken care of Rebecca?" Albert asked, completely ignoring what was said earlier. At the young medic's name, Joe slightly frowned, rubbing his swollen nose.

"I already told you what happened..." he replied, shaking his head.

"And I told _you_ not to underestimate her. Did you think S.T.A.R.S. was some unorganized, unprepared squad?" Albert scoffed and completely stopped walking when he reached the door.

"Hey, it's not like it matters...she wasn't one of the ones that _had_ to die. Besides, in little while you'll forget about her altogether. You have bigger fish to fry...come sometime next week, anyway." Joe quickly changed the subject, also halting at the door.

"Yes...just a little longer until..." Albert trailed off thoughtfully, resting his hand on the handle of the door.

"Until we inject a little chaos into this...modern civilization." Joe mused with a smile, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"And more importantly..." Albert trailed off again, gaining Joe's attention. He opened the door quietly, looking at the outside world; the people walking down the street, the children playing games, and happy families smiling in joy.

"Just a little while longer until I can feel truly alive again..." he finished, walking out of the building indifferently and leaving the madman completely alone.

--

_Ugh...okay, I'm really sorry for this boring chapter Reader. Seriously...I know much wasn't resolved...like, at all, and that it was mostly dialogue, but I can promise things will be picking up very, VERY soon. And when it does, you can ignore this 'crapter'...XD_

_Okay, so the lyrics in the beginning are by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, from their awesome song...you guessed it, "Turn The Page". I'd like to point out that in no way, shape or form, does this song, or these lyrics belong to me...they are just from a great band with a great song._

_Well, I'd like to babble on like I usually do, but like I said...it was pretty uneventful. Except for the last part, that was pretty important lol. But I'm not gonna say a word about that right now...XDD  
Anyway, regardless of the slow pace, I'd like to thank all of my lovely reviewers for continuing to read and give me support. It truly, truly means a lot guys and gals...I appreciate the honesty, whether I'm praised or criticized, so thank you all for helping me build this story! Everyone have a great Friday tomorrow, and an awesome week! I'll see everyone next Thursday with Chapter Ten : Fear of the Dark!_


	11. Chapter 10 : Fear of the Dark

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Chapter Ten : Fear of the Dark**

"_Have you run your fingers down the wall,  
__And have you felt your neck skin crawl,  
__When you're searching for the light?  
__Sometimes when you're scared,  
__To take a look, at the corner of the room,  
__You've sensed that something's watching you..._"

Leon sighed deeply, running his right hand through his hair to brush it out of his face. He sat alone on the front porch of his house, with nothing to keep him company aside from the vehicles passing in the street. Had it not been winter, the songs of crickets and other night time insects would have also been there to occupy him. But it was late December, the time for everything to either be asleep or dead. Leon cast a glance at his front door, ignoring his own visible breath, and imagined Ada sitting comfortably on the couch watching the television. At this time, the news would be on cycling through the day's events. But they wouldn't speak of recent killings, or even of Joe any longer, unless it was only a brief mention. And it was that thought, not the harsh winter temperatures, that caused a chill to run down the blonde man's spine. After all, according to Alyssa Ashcroft and her news buddies, the killings had stopped. It had been an entire week since Rebecca escaped the madman's clutches, and nearly a week since the last body was found.

The agent rested the side of his face against his cheek and took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. The last body was revealed to be the skeletal remains of ex-S.T.A.R.S. member Barry Burton, who also had to be identified through dental records. He was yet another unknown person to Leon. In all his years as a government agent, he had never seen someone burned with as potent an acid as Barry. It ate him straight to the bone, and naturally the ex-cop read the old riddle that very night and almost smacked himself in the forehead. Of course it was acid, but not just any acid. That would be too simple for Joe. This acid was positively swimming with the T-Virus, and had the body not been in such bad shape, it would have been reanimated. It couldn't be officially proven, but Leon knew what kind of acid was used. He had seen it before in Raccoon City, being spewed at him by undead carriers. It was the only thing that made any sense; the acid was much too strong to be normal, and on top of that, it was a breeding ground for the T-Virus.

It was just another way of Joe waving around the fact that the T-Virus was in his possession. But how did he manage to get his hands on it? The T-Virus wasn't exactly sold at Wal-Mart, not to mention the street value of even the tiniest sample. Joe would have to have a lot of connections and money to buy the virus, and if he'd gone through all the trouble of obtaining it, why would he waste it?

_Because...he's a psycho trying to shroud himself in mystery. And he's doing a damn good job..._

The fact that the T-Virus was in Joe's possession wasn't the only thing that bothered Leon either. It was the fact that five days had gone by since coming up empty handed in Frederick, and not a single thing had happened during that time frame. If he'd wanted to, the agent could have fooled himself into thinking that he had just woken up from a terrible nightmare; that nothing had even happened since coming home from work that fateful night. But no matter how hard he wanted to, Leon couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, _very_ wrong.

_Just forget about that Kennedy...he wouldn't go there. He couldn't...unless..._

Leon once again sighed bitterly, standing from his spot. He had already told Hunnigan and his superiors what he thought of the situation, but they assured him differently. They didn't think that a low-life psycho with an unreasonable grudge was capable of causing a full scale outbreak. Hell, Leon himself didn't even think that Joe had the capacity to achieve such a feat. By himself, that is. Then again, if the entire scenario was to be plausible, Joe would have first had to align himself with someone who knew how to get their hands on the T-Virus, and perhaps with this person's help...

_It's possible. Stop denying it...an outbreak is possible._

"Dammit..." Leon growled in a low tone, leaning his back against the front door. His anger quickly subsided however, as his reasonable side took control. The ex-cop had learned a few things about the virus over the years, which allowed his confidence to rise. For one thing, the government had been alerted of a possible outbreak scenario. Then there was the fact that the symptoms were widely recognizable nowadays by most people inside the government, and at the first tiny sign of infection, evacuations would be ordered. And perhaps the most calming fact was knowing that the T-Virus took time to work, and couldn't be administered through the air. It had to enter a person's bloodstream directly, and even then, it took numerous hours for the carrier to die and reanimate.

_So just calm down...everything will be okay. If he seriously tries to cause an outbreak, he's in for a surprise...because we'll be ready._

Leon allowed a final sigh to escape his lips, this one of relief, and turned his body to enter his home. There, just like he imagined, was Ada resting comfortably on the couch. Only the television was dark and silent, and she was looking in his direction, smiling when he stepped inside.

"Feeling better handsome?" her velvety voice purred like no other woman's. That statement alone made Leon feel a little better, if only for the fact that his wife's soothing voice was the best type of medicine for him. He nodded, making his way to join her on the couch. As soon as the ex-cop sat down, Ada snuggled into his side, and instinctively, Leon wrapped his arms around her figure.

"That's good to hear..." she admitted softly, enjoying the closeness of their embrace. Leon inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of lilacs invading his perimeter, and he lowered his head to give his wife an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

"Any word from Rebecca?" the blonde man suddenly questioned, causing the raven-haired woman to look up at him.

"I talked to her this morning. She said she hasn't really gotten anywhere with the riddles, but she's been racking her brain." Ada responded, wearing a look of concern.

"I'm worried about her though...she just recently lost the man that she loved, and now all she does is bury herself in work. I appreciate her help with trying to figure the riddles out, I really do, but still...it's gotta be hard on the poor thing..." the Eurasian beauty continued, voicing the anxiety that was written across her face. Leon rested his head on top of his wife's and nodded, looking straight ahead in thought.

"It's a part of some people's grieving process hun. Believe me, I've been there before..." the agent confessed solemnly, redirecting his attention to the ex-spy. Ada sat quietly in his embrace, silently understanding exactly what her husband was referring to. She didn't have to tell the blonde man that he'd just recently began doing the exact same thing, because she was sure that he was already aware. So there the couple sat for an unknown amount of time, neither having to speak a word to enjoy each other's company. Ada thought that she probably could have stayed there and relished in the tranquility for eternity. But the very moment that the thought crossed her mind, the silence was rudely shattered by a deafening explosion in the distance. The couple quickly jumped to their feet in alert, as the shockwave swept over their house, shaking the entire structure as if earth had decided to split into two. Glasses jingled in the cupboard, and plates danced off of the counter, smashing when they met the floor. All Leon and Ada could do was clutch onto each other until the shaking stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Ada finally whispered when the house was still. It was even quieter now than it was before, but this silence, unlike the one before, was unsettling. Leon shook his head in uncertainty, still in a daze from what had just happened. He only knew what the pit of his stomach told him, and it had never lied before.

"Let's go upstairs and get some things together honey. I've got this feeling that won't leave me alone...we have to go." Leon stated quietly, turning at the end of his sentence to face his wife. He stroked the side of her arm in reassurance, and even managed a small smile. Anything, if it would help ease her mind.

"Should I prepare for the worst?" she asked, searching deeply into his cerulean eyes for an answer.

"Yeah...there's a chance, and I don't want to be caught off guard..." the ex-cop admitted. He had expressed his concern of an outbreak to Ada on the same day that he informed his superiors of his suspicions, calling it the 'worst case scenario'. She knew very well what was going on in his mind at that moment, and even if it did seem improbable, Ada didn't care. Together, they made their way upstairs and entered their bedroom. Leon dug a couple of empty duffel bags out from under the bed and handed one to his wife. Grabbing any clothes he could, the blonde man stuffed what he was able to into the empty bags. The raven-haired woman was doing the same, and Leon noted that neither of them were packing work clothes.

_Because that's the last thing on your mind...I won't miss those suits anyway, if I'm right about this..._

It took several minutes, but soon both duffel bags were completely stuffed, making it difficult to close them. Leon finished first, so he made his way to his closet, pushing the countless black suits out of his way. They hid a picture frame, and while the ex-cop always thought it was cliche, the frame hid a numerical keypad. Swiping the picture completely off of the wall, he entered the correct numbers, 339790, and pressed enter. Instantly, the wall began to ascend, revealing the hidden room. The florescent bulbs above automatically switched on, allowing the assortment of various weapons to be seen. Having seen this room thousands of times before, Leon was no longer impressed with what it offered, and even if he was, now was hardly the time. He hastily threw a double barrel 12-gauge shotgun over his shoulder and grabbed two 9mm Springfield's. On his way out, he grabbed dozens of pre-loaded 9mm clips as well as a box of shotgun shells. Leon was about to leave when something else caught his eye. With a small grin, he pulled his wife's .357 Colt Python from it's stand, making sure to grab as many clips for the gun as he could carry.

"Got everything?" Ada queried as her husband walked back into the room, tossing the array of weapons and ammo onto the bed. The door to the armory automatically began to close when he exited, once again shrouding the hidden space with darkness.

"I think so. I didn't want to get too much...I figured traveling light would be the way to go, and besides...we don't know for sure if..." Leon trailed off, grabbing the many tactical harnesses that his wife had laid out while he was retrieving the weapons. He quickly attached a thigh rig and inserted one of the 9mm's, also jamming several clips into the pouches that the harness had available.

"Either way, we'll be okay Leon...but I hope to God that you're wrong." Ada confessed, mimicking her husband's actions by attaching her own thigh holster.

"You're not the only one..." the blonde man replied, throwing the shotgun's strap over his shoulder. The strap housed individual holders for a maximum of twelve shells, making it an ammo holster of it's own, which Leon took full advantage of by completely loading it. He then grabbed both duffel bags and headed towards the door, stopping when he reached the opening.

"I'll be in the Jeep, okay?" he breathed, straining against the weight of everything that he was carrying. Ada looked up and nodded, shoving a clip into the .357, and hastily gathered the rest of her ammo. With that, Leon made his way downstairs and opened the front door, cautiously peering out into the night. The streets were much quieter than usual, but that was most likely attributed to the explosion. Shaking off his thoughts, the agent quickly made his way towards the navy SUV, opening the back door and tossing the bags inside, as well as the shotgun. He then entered the driver's seat and started the vehicle up, taking time to glance at the watch on his wrist. Time was moving too slowly for Leon as he anxiously waited for Ada to join him. When the front door still didn't open, the ex-cop surveyed his surroundings, scanning each and every shadow for any movement. He was almost finished when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, almost causing him to jump. Instead, Leon dug the phone from where it rested and flipped it open.

"Leon, are you there?" came the familiar voice of Hunnigan.

"Yeah, I hear you. Tell me what's going on." Leon stated, cutting right to the chase. He heard several phones ringing in the background and people rushing to answer them, making it slightly difficult to hear his contact.

"You were right...we're getting calls in already. It's a T-Virus outbreak, just like you said..." the female agent began, pulling the phone from her ear to bark orders at someone within the room. Leon felt a wave of new anxiety wash over him like a hot blanket, but only sighed.

"There's no way...I know I had suspicions, but a full-scale outbreak takes time-..." the ex-cop was abruptly cut off by the brunette woman.

"I don't know how the hell it happened either, but it's going on right now. A bomb was detonated...and there was something inside of it. This...thick fog started pouring out of it and began sweeping over the city. Some kind of...T-Virus mixture. Whatever gets caught in the fog starts changing within in a matter of minutes. It obviously hasn't reached your house yet, so I advise getting a couple of gas masks handy for you and Ada." Hunnigan explained rapidly, as Leon tried to soak everything in.

"There won't be any need because me and Ada are leaving immediately." the blonde man informed, glancing at the front door, which remained still.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated then that Leon. I have a direct order from the President himself." the female agent started, taking a deep breath.

"At exactly 8:31 p.m. when the bomb went off, Ashley Graham was approximately five blocks away, shopping at the local mall. I think you can figure out the rest..." Hunnigan announced softly, allowing their years of experience together to finish.

"But...wait...no, can I at least drop Ada off at a safer location first?" Leon sputtered out in shock. After a few moments of silence on the opposite end, the female agent cleared her throat to answer.

"I'm sorry Leon...if it was up to me..." Hunnigan trailed off solemnly as Leon sat in a daze.

"Well...but she's...fuck!" the blonde man hissed angrily, turning his head to once again scan the surrounding area.

"Can you just call Ada for me and fill her in? Tell her to bring the gas masks..." Leon finally requested in defeat.

"Sure, no problem. Just be careful Leon. I'll see you in New York when this is all over." the brunette woman proclaimed in a sympathetic tone, hanging up when she was finished. Leon shoved the phone back into his pocket miserably and leaned back in the seat, trying to calm both his emotions and his mind, both of which were swimming around violently and combining to give him a headache. The agent seemed to sit in the SUV for an eternity, spending his time by keeping everywhere in his sight under constant surveillance. When the front door to his house finally opened, and Ada came rushing out clutching two gas masks, Leon's heart began to pound nervously.

_This is it...how many outbreaks will this make Kennedy? Forth...fifth? That's gotta be some kind of record..._

As soon as the Eurasian beauty entered the vehicle and got safely strapped in, Leon hastily backed out of the driveway, and stopped to put the Jeep into drive. He took time to look at his house longingly, as it was possible that this would be the last time that he'd ever see it again. Ada followed his gaze, and allowed her left hand to travel over his, squeezing lightly. But Leon knew not to waste anymore time, and pushed on the accelerator, heading towards the Uptown district. The quicker they were, the less infected citizens they would have to deal with. At that moment, Ada placed a small piece of paper on the dashboard with an address in New York City printed on it. The agent had almost forgotten Hunnigan's last words to him.

_'...See you in New York when this is all over.'_

"I can't believe this shit..." Leon muttered angrily as he sped down the empty streets. His eyes were constantly scanning ahead, searching for any obstacles or carriers.

"It's okay Leon. As long as Ashley stayed within the mall at the time of the explosion, she should still be alive. Hunnigan told me that the mall is ventilated, and the filters can get rid of the smallest of impurities. It's probably one of the safest places around right now..." Ada declared, trying to calm her husband down.

"Besides, you need backup for this...I don't want you charging into another outbreak alone." she added, looking in the blonde man's direction in concern.

"Honey, I love you...and you're the best backup that I could ask for...most of the time. But now isn't really one of those times." Leon pointed out with a tired smile. The SUV roared through the quiet streets, getting ever closer to the mall. The agent decided against traveling anywhere near the blast site, as debris and rubble could possibly be blocking the streets. Not only that, but the building where the explosion occurred would have the highest number of infected people. While going around may have taken a bit more time, it was a much safer and smarter decision.

"I see a carrier Leon..." Ada informed, pointing with her finger. The ex-cop risked a quick glance in the direction that his wife was pointing to, and saw the silohette of a man, stumbling stupidly down the street to their right.

"We must be getting close then. Put your mask on hun." Leon requested. The raven-haired woman nodded and grabbed the gas mask, pulling it over her head. When she was finished, Ada then quickly pulled the other mask over her husband's head. Thankfully, the momentary blindness didn't cause the vehicle to crash, but then again, Leon had his government training to thank for that. A few minutes passed by in silence, and suddenly the thick fog bank rolled over the navy Jeep, prompting the ex-cop to slow his pace down dramatically and switch on his low beams. Now there were carriers everywhere, some walking aimlessly on the sidewalks, and others in the street. Leon had to slow the vehicle to a snail's pace now, dodging and weaving through lanes to avoid hitting the infected citizens. There were several cars crashed into light posts, which pointed towards the driver panicking and driving blindly at unsafe speeds. This was commonplace during outbreaks, but the fog had decreased visibility so much that cars littered the roadways and sidewalks, making the trek that much more difficult.

Neither Ada, nor Leon knew how much time was lost as they inched closer to the mall, but when they finally arrived, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. The number of infected had died down a bit after getting further from the origin of the outbreak, but there was still quite a few of them roaming the streets.

"Ready for this?" Leon asked wearily, his husky voice heavily distorted through the mask that he wore. Ada nodded, pulling her Springfield Armory from her holster as Leon retrieved the shotgun from the back. He slung the strap over his shoulder and also took out his 9mm. The couple looked at each other and the blonde man held up three fingers. He slowly let his ring finger fall as the crowd of infected shuffled closer. Ada glanced at the crowd, and then at the mall's entrance. Leon let his his middle finger fall, and they both clutched onto their door handles, readying their handguns. Finally, his index finger fell, and Leon and Ada hastily exited the Jeep, firing at the closest carriers.

--

_Hmm...not too much to say about this chapter either really...it's kinda rushed and uneventful, pretty much acting as a set-up for next week's chapter, so sorry guys. I've also not been feeling well for the past few days, so that might be another reason. Anyway, what's a Resident Evil story without an outbreak? Well...not a cliche one like this lol. This is how this entire story started actually...kinda funny how much it's changed. Originally it was just a weird RE/The Fog crossover of some sort. But, my brain made sure it wasn't as simple as that. Also, the lyrics in the beginning are from Iron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark", chosen for obvious reasons. Anyway, this story is somewhere within the realms of being half-way over, so that makes me happy. Hopefully you guys will stick around long enough to see how the rest unfolds. So lots of love to the readers and reviewers, and some medicine for me. Happy Thursday!_


	12. Chapter 11 : Seek and Destroy

**Disclaimer : Resident Evil and all of it's characters belong to Capcom. This story is simply fiction, and is only for entertainment.**

--

**Chapter Eleven : Seek and Destroy**

"_Have you ever been alone at night,  
__Thought you heard footsteps behind,  
__And turned around and no one's there?  
__And as you quicken up your pace,  
__You'll find it hard to look again,  
__Because you're sure there's someone there..._"

The dense fog rolled and swirled throughout the streets as the dead staggered closer towards the mall's entrance. There really weren't too many carriers within the couple's immediate vicinity, but the few that were needed to be taken care of. As soon as Leon had exited the Jeep, he put a well placed bullet into the head of what was once a security guard, spraying crimson liquid all over the sidewalk. He also heard Ada firing as well, and the agent soon knew why. A couple of infected citizens were blocking the entrance to the mall, but they were nothing to really be concerned about. The ex-assassin easily plugged them both in the head, decorating the door with blood that slowly began to seep down. Without those two carriers in the way, the couple proceeded to the entrance, quickly shuffling inside.

"Well, so far so good." Leon stated with a deep breath, taking time to gaze around the huge mall. They were only on the first floor, and there appeared to be at least two other floors to explore. Not only that, but the entire building was completely empty of life. It was an eerie feeling, to be standing in a place that was usually jam-packed with people, when it's been abandoned. Leon thought back to the police station in Raccoon City as well as the airport in Harvardville, and he couldn't help but feel the similarities. The only difference was, those places made up for the lack of life with the living dead. The mall however, didn't even have that, which he supposed was a good thing.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Ada questioned, pulling off her gas mask to breathe the fresh air in the mall. Leon had almost forgotten about the air system that the building came equipped with. He mimicked his wife's actions, pulling the mask over his head, grateful for not only the fresh air, but the sudden increase in visibility as well.

"I think we should start at the top and sweep down, scanning every inch of every store. Ashley's more than likely at the top, and if we start there and she happens to be on the second floor or something, we can just keep going down once she's safe." Leon suggested, looking in the direction of the elevator. Thankfully the electricity was still operational in the building, so the elevator was probably functional as well. Not to mention the fact that the entire mall was well lit, so they didn't have to search in the darkness.

"I agree...besides, starting high and working low is a good tactic. Once we're at the top floor, we'll just stick to the stairs afterwards." the raven-haired woman offered, and set off towards the elevator. As she pressed the button to call the lift, Leon paid no attention, choosing instead to examine everywhere that his eyes would allow; every visible point of the first floor, and even above to the second. There would be no nasty surprises from above if the ex-cop had anything to say about it. But before anything even had the chance to jump out and attack, the elevator dinged, signifying that it had completed it's descent. Leon whirled around at the noise, just in time to see the smooth metal doors part ways and allow the couple entrance. And as they peered into the lift, Leon and Ada instantly knew that the search for the President's daughter had just become a little more complex. A lone bloody hand print, once desperately scratching at the rear wall of the elevator in a sad attempt to escape a horrible fate, now streaked down to the floor of the lift. A larger amount of blood pooled at the floor, and it looked like whoever was inside had been forcefully dragged out. But wherever this event once took place, it certainly wasn't on the quiet first floor. The couple exchanged a quick glance before readying their weapons and stepping inside, careful to avoid the larger section of the crimson liquid. Ada pressed the button marked '3' on the control panel, and the metal doors closed once more.

"Wonder what's up there?" the Eurasian beauty suddenly remarked curiously, garnering a confused look from her husband. She felt his eyes upon her, and turned her head to meet his gaze before continuing.

"I mean...I know there's probably human carriers, but if the outbreak happened so fast, then it's not a stretch for further mutations to increase in speed too." she hinted softly, remembering the abominations that she witnessed in Raccoon City.

"Good point...I guess there's only one way to find out." Leon stated as Ada nodded in agreement. The elevator rang once more, interrupting the couple, and they both raised their weapons cautiously. The doors slowly slid open, and almost like finding another piece of a puzzle, the remainder of the crimson trail could be seen leading somewhere to the left of the lift. The couple gingerly stepped out of the elevator, looking around the new floor in confusion. The third floor was almost like an entirely different place, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the first. The bottom floor was completely normal, except for the absence of shoppers. The floor that they were on now was a mess; trash cans were tipped over, shattered glass lay strewn about on the floor, and blood decorated the floor and walls. The most significant change however was the fact that there was no electricity on the third level, and the only lighting available was the pale glow coming from the floors below.

"How the...? What happened here?" Leon mumbled, straining his eyes to work to the darker setting.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that a few civilians decided to use this place as shelter, but some carriers managed to get in. The people ran to the highest point, and the infected simply followed suit." Ada offered with a sigh.

"The only thing that doesn't make sense is the fact that this floor doesn't have electricity...especially when the other two do." she continued softly.

"You're right...that doesn't make sense. The only explanation I can think of is...a circuit breaker. Unless it was an accident, I can't figure out why anyone would kill the power up here." the blonde man admitted. His eyes were just about adjusted to the dim lighting, and he silently cursed himself for not thinking to bring along a flashlight.

"Care explaining how the elevator still works then?" the ex-spy queried.

"It's rigged up to the first floor's power. The third floor's situation doesn't really affect the elevator..." Leon clarified, looking around the floor. His eyes widened when he found what he was looking for, and he motioned for his wife to follow. With a light sigh, Ada raised her 9mm and walked behind her husband, attempting to see what he had. She didn't have to wait long to find out however, as Leon stopped in front of a store called "Hank's Sporting Goods" and peered inside.

"Damn...I can't see anything in there." he whispered glancing over his shoulder at his wife. From the name of the store, Ada already had a pretty good idea of what the blonde man had in mind, and also squinted into the pitch black store.

"Me either, but we have to go in...we've got to have some kind of light if we want to sweep this floor effectively." the raven-haired woman remarked, taking a step forward. Leon softly nodded and aimed his gun into the store, cautiously stepping inside. He had to admit that the dark really wasn't so bad now that he was actually inside, and there weren't any silhouettes of carriers visible, which was a definite plus. When Leon was satisfied with the silence, he motioned to Ada that it was clear, and made his way over to a shelf. After squinting his eyes for several minutes, he finally managed to find a suitable flashlight resting on a rack. It was a decent size, and completely gun metal, meaning it had durability. Not that beggars could be choosers, but Leon was glad he found this one over a cheap plastic brand. He opened the package, and it appeared that luck was actually on his side, as the batteries were included.

"Did you find one?" Ada whispered as the ex-cop was unscrewing the bottom to insert the batteries. He flicked the switch on, and a long beam of light cut through the darkness and illuminated the rack, showing dozens of other similar flashlights.

_Wow...a Mag-Lite this big with batteries included for twelve bucks? That's a steal..._

"You should probably grab one too hun..." Leon proclaimed, turning his attention to where Ada was standing, right near the cashier counter. And on the other side of that counter, a carrier began moaning and reaching for the Eurasian beauty. Just as she whipped around and aimed her 9mm, a bullet tore through his skull, splattering blood all over the wall behind him, and the infected man slumped to the ground. The ex-spy sighed in relief and turned to meet her husband's eyes. He was grinning confidently, holding the Springfield Armory parallel to his head. He quickly holstered the gun and grabbed another light, tossing it to his wife.

"I forgot how fast you were handsome..." Ada teased as she tore open the packaging, which was being illuminated by Leon's light. He rolled his eyes at her statement, and continued to concentrate the light as she inserted the batteries and screwed the cap back on. Soon Ada's own beam of light joined her husband's, and the couple prepared to leave.

"Well, we have a _lot_ of ground to follow and I'm sure your gunfire will have alerted any nearby carriers, so let's get going." the ex-assassin suggested, motioning for Leon to lead the way. The agent nodded, and held the flashlight with his left hand, resting and aiming his Springfield on his left wrist with his other hand. Just when he exited the store, Leon turned his head to make sure his wife was close behind, and his eyes flicked towards the counter.

"Sorry Hank..." he murmured sarcastically, fixating his gaze ahead. Ada rolled her eyes at her incorrigible husband, but mimicked his tactical stance with the flashlight, making it so that wherever she aimed, the beam of light followed. As they swept through the entire third floor, they were relieved to find that there still weren't many infected citizens staggering around, and most of the stores were empty. The best that they could hope for without finding Ashley was what they found in the electronics store, which was nothing. And so far, the worst that the couple had seen so far were three carriers inside of Old Navy, but that could be attributed to the fact that they were busy feasting on a dead body. After they confirmed that it wasn't Ashley's body that they were eating, Leon and Ada simply locked the store's door and left, not wanting to waste ammo on the occupied carriers.

"One last store to check, and then we can head down to the second floor." Leon pointed out, aiming his flashlight into the darkness of an old candle store. There wasn't much to the store at all, and unless Ashley was hiding behind the counter, he would have seen her by now.

"Ashley?" the blonde man hissed at the entrance. His reply was complete silence, and feeling satisfied with that, Leon turned and shook his head at his wife.

"I guess there's nothing left to do but head on down." Ada announced, and set off towards the stairs with her husband following closely by her side. The couple felt content that the third floor was clear, free of carriers and Ashley alike, and once they reached the non-functional escalator, they both switched their flashlights off and set them down on the floor, hoping that they would no longer need to rely on them. Ada was the first to step on the escalator and begin descending as Leon pulled up the rear. Suddenly, the raven-haired woman halted her movements and also Leon's, by placing a hand on his chest.

"Do you hear that?" she mouthed silently to her husband, causing the agent to strain his ears. It paid off, as the sound of toenails clicking on tile floor could be heard, gradually getting closer. He'd heard this sound before, he was sure of it, and the memories were not pleasant. Slowly, Leon holstered his 9mm and pulled the double barrel shotgun from his shoulder, motioning for Ada to crouch down. The sound was certainly coming from the second floor, there was no doubt about that, so Leon aimed the 12-gauge at the base of the escalator and waited for whatever it was to show itself. But instead of coming into view, the sound of the toenails scratching against the floor suddenly stopped, and a deep growl rumbled through the air. The sound sent memories flooding back into Leon's mind, and he suddenly knew what they were up against.

"Dog..." he breathed out, and no sooner had the words escaped his lips than the animal bounded into view, snarling and bearing it's teeth in all of it's infected glory. The T-Virus had been unkind to the beast, decomposing it's flesh so drastically that it was practically drooping from the poor animal's bones. With a vicious bark, it charged up the escalator's lifeless stairs, quickly tearing the agent from his thoughts back to the matter at hand. He pointed the bead of the 12-gauge at the dog's face, ignoring the fact that it was drooling hungrily at the thought of picking clean the bones of his wife and unborn child, and fired. The blast from the shell struck the animal violently, sending it tumbling back down to the base of the stairs with a sharp yelp. However, given it's erratic movements, the shot managed to miss it's target and only deliver a non-fatal blow to the creature's ribs. It wasn't long before the animal was back on it's feet, and while a large chunk was ripped from it's sternum, the dog's brain was still intact. And that meant that no matter what, it wouldn't stop until it was feasting on human flesh.

Leon utilized his agility and hopped over his crouching wife, not only blocking her from harm's way, but also to minimize the spread of the shotgun's pellets. With a long and somewhat sorrowful howl, the dog once again dashed towards the couple. The ex-cop aimed once again, jamming the stock of the gun firmly into his shoulder to absorb the recoil better and trained the sights at those lifeless eyes, pulling the trigger. Once again, the poor animal was thrown backwards, but this time, unlike the last, the dog made no noise when it smacked against the floor. Chunks of skull and brain matter scattered against the large white pillars that were at the base, and large amounts of blood seeped from the animal's head, rapidly pooling around it's limp body. Feeling the cringe of pity that he always felt whenever killing a carrier, human or otherwise, Leon flipped the barrel of the shotgun open, ejecting the spent cartridges on the stairs. As he reloaded the weapon, Ada stood from her spot and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft and loving kiss on his cheek.

"Let's finish this Leon." she spoke into his ear, prompting him to nod in agreement. The blonde man replaced the 12-gauge over his shoulder and fished his Springfield from his thigh holster, making sure to check the clip first. He had 4 shots left in the magazine, and would need to reload soon, especially if more carriers were close by. Cautiously, Leon led the way down the useless escalator, sweeping his gun wherever his eyes roamed. Because of the dog's appearance, the ex-cop was sure that more infected were sure to have flocked down on the second floor, and just as he was about to make his way off of the stairs, Leon was proven right.

"Damn...I'm not sure we have enough ammo..." the agent muttered, scanning the new level 360 degrees, and noticing quite a few more carriers down here. Some were oblivious to the couple, and others had already begun to make their way out of stores and other hard to see areas.

"Guess we'll just have to be quick on our feet then." Ada replied, aiming her weapon at the closest threat, an infected female, before squeezing the trigger to expertly plant a 9mm round into her head.

"Alright then...let's get this over with..." Leon agreed, and was about to begin his search of the second floor when a dinging sound rang over the loud speakers of the entire mall.

"Attention all shoppers...attention all shoppers. The mall will be closing in...five minutes." came a familiar male voice, followed by a jovial laugh. A laugh that caused Leon's stomach to churn.

_You gotta be shitting me..._

"Leon, listen!" the Eurasian beauty suddenly exclaimed, trying her best to ignore the stumbling monsters that were getting closer and strain her ears. After plugging the closest carrier in the head, the blonde man also strained to hear.

"Help me! Please!" a faint cry pleaded, directing the couple's attention upwards, where Ada gasped.

"How the...?" she trailed off, gazing at the floor above, where the electricity had been restored.

"No time hun, just go!" Leon proclaimed, ushering his wife up the stairs to the already clear third floor. Without hesitating, the ex-spy made her way up the escalator, which was proving slightly difficult as the stairs were now moving down. The agent also began ascending, turning every once in a while to shoot at the looming mob of carriers. Luckily, they were too stupid to figure out how to effectively follow, but it wouldn't be long before a couple wandered onto the other side, where traveling to the third floor would be much easier. When the couple made their way to the top, they focused on the cries again.

"Sounds like they're coming from over there." the blonde man announced, pointing in the direction of an electronic store.

"We already checked that store...this has to be a trap." Ada stated, but followed her husband nonetheless. Leon inserted a fresh clip into his Springfield, and casting a quick glance to the raven-haired woman, entered the electronics shop.

"Someone help me! Oh please God, help me!" Ashley's cries grew louder, causing the ex-cop's heart rate to increase.

"Aww, shh, shh, shh...No one can help you now. Not man, not God...you're alone..." was the familiar male's reply. At this point, Leon was sprinting around the store, stopping only when he had reached the section where the display televisions were kept. Ada also skidded to a halt, not quite expecting what she saw. Because on every single display TV, was the image of the young blonde woman in her mid-twenties cowering away from a man that she had never seen before. But she didn't need to see the man to know exactly who he was.

"Oh, look who joined the party! Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy, let's give them a round of applause for showing up stylishly late!" Joe exclaimed, looking at the camera into the eyes of the couple.

"Let her go..." Leon growled, earning him a laugh.

"Umm...no?" the madman replied, almost as if he was unsure of his answer. At this point, Ashley looked up and surveyed her surroundings, hoping to see Leon in the room.

"Where are you?" the blonde man interrogated, looking around the store in confusion.

"Not where you are, that's for sure...I'm in the security room on the first floor. It's much safer, isn't that right Miss Graham?" the dark-haired man implored, grinning in her direction.

"Just hold on Ashley." Leon spoke, and turned on his heel, facing the exit.

"Ah, ah, ah...I...wouldn't do that if I were you. Maybe you didn't hear me correctly...I'm in the _security room_. I basically run this mall right now. I can see both of you right now, thanks to those security cameras in the store, and I can even control the power from here. So...if you don't want little Ashley to meet an unfortunate end...I'd suggest staying right where you are." Joe explained with a chuckle, holding up a switchblade knife and waving it around on the screen.

"This, Miss Graham..._this_ is God." the madman continued, turning around to emphasize the knife in his hand. Ashley's eyes grew wide, and all Leon and Ada could do was watch helplessly as the dark-haired man slowly approached her.

--

_Sorry about the lame chapter guys, but I had to update today, no matter what. And ya know why? Because today marks the one-year anniversary of DOAM! Woo hoo! Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be proud or ashamed lol...this should be done by now, right? Or...at the very least, I should be further along. Ahh well, blame my laziness lol. Anyways, this is dedicated to all of my readers and especially reviewers, because without you guys, I wouldn't have even made it THIS far into the story, so a HUGE thank you for all of the inspiration and motivation that you've given me!_

_Alright, I'll be brief this time lol...I just came off of an all-nighter, so I'm a little beat. The lyrics at the beginning are once again from Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark'. _

_But enough with the obligatory anti-copyright plugs and back to the matter at hand! Wow...one year guys...it's been a trip. I'll admit, trying to keep this story interesting and fresh is proving to be a daunting task, one that I hadn't anticipated from the beginning. But regardless, if I have to headlock this fic into submission, I WILL complete it! So again, much love to the wonderful people who read and give feedback...I can't thank you guys enough, and every review means a lot to me, so don't think that I've forgotten this story, even though I haven't updated since...August-ish lol. I hope the next chapter will be better, so keep with me and I promise you won't regret it! Until next time, take it easy everyone!_


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